Recently...

You will all be happy to know that I found my planner. It was in the car. I LOOKED in the car a few days ago, though, and it wasn't there. I think it's a conspiracy to make me think I've lost my mind.

Homeschooling is going well, other than the occasional battle over math. Yes, you have to do it. I know it's not too hard because you did that same type of problem every day for the past 3 days without any problem. I know you're hiding a toy. Give it to me and get back to your math. No, you cannot go to the bathroom for the 5th time in the last hour. Yes, you have to take it with you when we go to pick up Ruthie. GET BACK IN THAT ROOM AND FINISH YOUR MATH! (not one of my better moments)

Ruthie's last day was Friday. She was slightly sad, but mostly excited. I'm excited, too. I'm enjoying this way more than I thought I would. I started because I felt it was what my children needed, but not necessarily what I wanted. (I enjoy my "me time".) God has truly worked on my heart.

Robert had the Pinewood Derby this morning. He placed 2nd!! Woo hoo!! In case you're wondering, it's all in the wheels and the axles.

My birthday was Wednesday. I turned 39. (I start counting backwards next year.) We went for dinner at Pappadeaux. We had lousy service, but got a free dessert out of it, so I was happy. Griff and the kids got me two Willow Tree figures - "Mother and Daughter" and "Mother and Son". I love them.

Lost and (Not-Yet) Found

Don't you hate it when you can't find something?

I have a planner notebook. It holds 8.5x11 paper, so it's not small. It has my calendar in it, as well as Girl Scout information and various other things. I can't find it. I have looked everywhere and I can't find it. It's been awhile since I've used it. Maybe a few weeks. Where is it?! I'm going to call the school and our church on Tuesday to check lost-and-found, but I don't think I left it there. I'm pretty sure it's in the house somewhere... I think...

This is going to keep me awake at night. I know it will.

Argh!

Don't Ever Google "Cheerleader".

My father-in-law (a huge University of Texas fan), sent me this picture. It's funny, but to be honest, it doesn't look real.

I checked out snopes and found nothing, so I decided to google it. My search words were "usc cheerleader picture university texas".

Oh. My. Goodness.

I didn't even look at any of the sites because the short description under the sites listed was bad enough.

Lesson learned.

Scottish Dances and New Year's Resolutions

I'm definitely getting old. I went to bed at 11:00 last night. Our new neighbors had invited us to a New Year's Eve party, but I really wasn't feeling well, so Griff went by himself and I stayed home with the kids. He went at about 9:00 and, while he did come home a few times to check on me, stayed until 12:30. I was shocked! Griff does not like parties. He had a great time at this one, though. Our neighbors (next-door, in fact) are from Scotland. They've only been here a few years, so their accents are still strong. Most of the people at the party were from Scotland. Some of the men were wearing kilts. They played Scottish music and had Scottish ale. They even did some Scottish dances. Griff was fascinated by all of it and really enjoyed it.

As far as the new year goes, I am making a New Year's Resolution. Typically, I don't do those. I believe that if there is something about your life you should change, you should do it anytime, not just January 1st. However, I read a book that influenced me, and I just finished it yesterday, so this whole resolution thing qualifies.

The book I read is Honey For a Child's Heart. It is about finding the best books for your children. While it does this wonderfully (it has a great list for children ages 0-12), she also shares how books have influenced her whole family's life. That's what I want. I want shared memories around reading books. I want to read the Bible as a family. I want to share great (and even not-so-great) literature. I have always felt this has been a weak point for me. My children are great readers, but I don't think I can take the credit for that. I haven't read to them as I should since they were babies.

This is a perfect time to add this to our lives. Homeschooling lends itself to time together, reading. I'm hoping to involve Griff, but even if I can't, I want to share this with my children.

So, that is my New Year's Resolution. Read to and with my children. I'm not going to promise a certain amount of times on certain days, because I know myself, and that will lead to failure. I'm going to choose a book today and start reading it to them.

If you have children, I highly recommend this book. I got it at our library, but will be buying it. She has also written Honey for a Teen's Heart (with Barbara Hampton) and Honey for a Woman's Heart. I will definitely be reading them both, although the former can wait a few years.