Yeah! A break!

Nope it isn't my leg or anything like that. We actually took a break today. I met some of the home school group at the springs for a day of sun and fun. I had to leave and go to a meeting and some of the moms kept an eye out for the boys. Once my meeting was over, I picked up the other boys and took them to the springs. I love it when we can take a break like that. Just leave all the studies and responsibilities behind.
I love hanging out with the other moms!

"Meanest Mom on the Planet"

"Meanest Mom on the Planet"

‘Meanest mom’ sells car after finding liquor.

After finding alcohol in her son's car, she decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old's misdeed with everyone — by placing an ad in the local newspaper.

You have got to read this! It is awesome! I am so glad that a parent actually took action.

What's a Mom to Do

Today was a short day of school. I think in public school they call it early release. However, in all reality, homeschool is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Very few breaks. Homeschool is tough but let me tell you what, the lessons they learn are priceless.

Tonight was our 2nd Boy Scout meeting. I gotta say it sure was more organized tonight than last week. Thank goodness! Oh yeah - I have created a blog for our Troop! Troop 472

We have a couple of events planned for this month. On the 15th we will be having a yard sale. On the 16th we are going to Devils Millhopper.

Tonight we finished the voting for Quarter Master and Scribe. I am proud to say that WW was voted at Scribe. I think he will really be good at this too. And of course JD not to be out done had to run for Grub Master. I was wanting him to run for Historian, but he preferred the Grub Master side. LOL Next week we will be doing the voting on that.

And last but not least. And this is where I say "What's a mom to do?" MJ was caught cheating today. I gave them all short lessons today because we needed to work on some of the Christmas crafts for gifts. MJ finished his school work first, so I thought it would be a good idea to give him a Christmas activity book to work in for about 30 minutes. I heard "Mom, MJ's cheating!". I thought I would loose my cool. I mean really - last week JD cheated and couldn't go to the Boy Scout meeting and now this week MJ had to follow his brother. Why? He knew what would happen if he got caught. I'm just not gonna put up with it, no way, no how. Ain't happen Captain!

Ok, now for my time. I'm off of here to stick my head in the pillow and scream!

Why Mothers Eat Their Young

I figured out today why mothers eat their young. I mean the animal mothers of course. And of course this is a funny and not a serious.

Today my kids have driven me slap up the wall. I think that my head may have actually spun around and flew off.

This is what I have heard today...

Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?Mom?

I tried to pretend I didn't hear them. But it only got worse.
I tried listening to them. But it only got worse.
I tried talking to them. But it only got worse.
I tried and I tried. But it only got worse.

I finally hid escaped in my bedroom. I think they know that when I hide disappear into my bedroom that I need some momma time. They were quiet at little mice for the rest of the afternoon. How come I couldn't figure it out before I climbed the wall and my head spun around and flew off? I don't know. I think moms are supposed to do that every now and then. That way they don't eat their young.

Where Do I Start

Sunday - that seems like a great place for me to start. Rain, we got more rain. I went to paint class and painted an awesome oil painting. I love the Bob Ross wet on wet method. My instructor is awesome. She is just so wonderful that it is hard to describe her.

Monday - class went really well today. We finally managed to get our microscope out and do a few Science projects. The boys were just amazed at what they saw. These Science projects are 5th grade level but MJ did them with us. MJ is really zipping through his books. His reading has improved so much and we are so proud of him. Now if I could just get WW and JD to show more interest. JD used to have such problems staying awake in class when he went to public school. He doesn't get sleepy during home school. I keep them hopping, so they don't have time to get sleepy. I also get them in bed pretty early, that way they are sure to get plenty of rest. Every night (including weekends) I have the boys sit down for quiet time. The quiet time is used to read. Every once in awhile the quiet time will be used as coloring time. The coloring time is about once a week. They are now looking forward to quiet time.

Tomorrow MJ goes in for his surgery. It's a day stay surgery but I am sure it will take most of the day. WW and JD are spending the night with their Granny (my mom). I sent them off with 2 small coolers full of food for breakfast and lunch for tomorrow. Lots of good snacks too. They were really excited about spending the night with her. They really wanted her to eat supper with us tonight but she had other plans. MJ ask me all kinds of questions tonight about his surgery. He said that he is a little bit nervous and he wants me and his dad to be with him the whole time. I assured him that we would be right there with him as long as the doctors would let us.

It's close to midnight right now and we all have to be up early in the morning. I'm heading to bed - oh yeah - after I let Molly in, because she is barking at the back door. LOL
Night all!

Field Trip

Everyone loaded in the car and away we go, one little squirrel in tow. After JD's doctor appointment on Friday, we all headed to my mom's where she jumped in the car with us and we were off for a 1 hour drive. Have you every heard this "Are we there yet"? Of course you have, especially if you have kids. They are so funny.

Ok so back to the field trip. Yes, we took our baby squirrel with us. Why? Because no one was going to be home to feed him. It was pretty cool though. MJ has a neat little bag that Granny Karen gave him. I think it's some type of camera bag. I was able to put a towel in it and then put in the squirrel and carry a baby bottle.
I toted the bag with the squirrel all cuddled up inside all day long. I had to stop from time to time and feed the little guy, but that wasn't difficult at all. I just unzipped the bag and stuck the bottle in and he nursed until he was full. Once his little tummy was full, he snuggled up in the towel and was fast asleep. There was one time when I was feeding him that a group of kids saw what I had. About 10 kids wanted to see the little guy, so I did a short show and tell. It was pretty darn neat.

Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. It has been many years since my first visit to this park. During the summer the boys went with their 4H day camp. JD didn't want to go again, and his reasoning was that there were too many kids and they were rude. I explained that it was just us going this time. I mean there would be other people there, just not in our group. He thought about it and decided that it just may be fun. And it was!
We took a boat ride. We even rode a tram. We walked and walked and walked some more. My poor mom, at times I kinda felt sorry for her. She was a trooper though. And a very good one too!
At Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, there is a Hippo, bunches of Alligators, Birds all all sorts, Manatees, Squirrels, White Tail Deer, Key Deer, Florida Black Bear, Bobcat and so much more. There is something they call the fish bowl. You go underwater in a building and you can see the fish swimming all around. We saw Sheepshead, Red fish, Snook and more. The boys were all excited! They actually said that it was much more fun with me than with their 4H group. Awwwww!

I know - Pictures! You will all be please to know that the love of my life bought me a new Cannon camera today. It's fancy and I have no idea how to use it. LOL I am off to bed for now but there will be lots more pictures in the days to come.

Breezy Yard Sale

We finally set up for a yard sale today. I know...It's about time. I certainly wished that I would have planned better. But that's ok with us. It's not easy when you have 3 boys that are constantly calling "Mom" and for some reason there always seems to be a question mark at the end of "Mom". It kinda sorta sounds like this "Mom?!" We were set up with the yard sale at my moms house because she is right on the road and we are just too darn far for drive by buyers. We made a total of $34 - I split the money with the boys and kept $5 for myself. What I kept was all in change, so I just dropped it in our vacation jar. I know that $34 doesn't sound like much but to the boys it's a lot of money. Their faces sure did beam when I gave them their cut.
Right when we were packing up, an elderly man came by. He gave us this story about how he is disabled and trying to support 13 adults and kids. It doesn't matter to us. And I even told him, "I won't be offended if you have a yard sale with these items". He said that what he does is has a bunch of friends over and they all sit around and go through the items, then the items that no one wants are given to the kids and the kids are allowed to have a yard sale with those items. I'm ok with that. Think of it this way - we were gonna pack it all up and give it to charity. Then we woulda had to pay for gas to take it to charity. Now it's all gone and hopefully it will be used by someone else. It's not in the landfill and that is very important to us.

Today there was a breeze blowing almost all day. That's always nice when the temperature is 99 degrees. It was still hot but not as hot as it coulda been.

Right Around The Corner

My parents used to say "Right around the corner". I remember looking for my birthday and Christmas around every corner that I could find. Now I find myself saying "Right around the corner". One thing I never looked for was school. And yes, it's right around the corner. From what I understand, some schools have already started. Here in North Central Florida we start on August 20th. I guess we don't have to worry about snow days. With heat in the triple digits, we can't even imagine snow. Not that we haven't had snow but it's certainly not something we get every year.

Now that I have mentioned school, I'd like to share some great resourses that I found for homeschoolers. There is so much wonderful information at Homeschool.com to keep you reading for a little while. Are you New to Homeschooling? this should really help.

Hopefully that will keep you busy for a little while. Many of you may already know about those two links. As for me - I need all the help I can get. Because school is "Right around the corner".

Day After Yesterday

Hmm....Now wouldn't the day after yesterday be today. Yeah, that's what I thought too. Hey - IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! Oh that's right, Karisma reminded me that I am gettin old. Gee thanks, Karisma. Just kiddin! Thank you so very, very much for the birthday wishes.
This is how Superman told me happy birthday..."Last year you turned 45 and you had 4 acres and no kids, this year you are 46 with 44 acres and 3 kids, how's that for a birthday." I thought it was sweet.
We had to buy 2 new tires today for the truck that Superman drives to work. He said that he was going to Walmart and I could give him the grocery list. I thought well heck, why don't we all go and get the shopping done. So that's what we did. Superman got all checked in and the tire thingy going, WW and JD took off together to the sporting goods section and the toy section. Me and MJ? Well of course the tire area is right next to the craft area, so guess where we headed. Oh yes, right into the craft section for about an hour. I love the craft section in Walmart. I think I looked at every bolt of material there. Poor little MJ, he was so bored but quiet the little trooper. While I was looking through one of the pattern books, MJ said "momma, I think we are supposed to buy groceries, not looking through books". LOL Superman joined us in the material area and I said I was going to buy me some material. Check this out - Superman picked out as much material as I did. Now I have lots to sew. WooooHoooo! Yippie! And the boys are at camp this week. I think I'll play with my material.

Ok, I have my material and a few notions, we are off to buy groceries. MJ was a wonderful help today. I think he wants to follow his brothers when they are with us and I think that he just acts out and gets into trouble. There wasn't any peer pressure today and his behavior was more what I expect and appreciate. It's the behavior in public that makes a mom proud.

Unpack the groceries, put everything away and everyone goes their own way. WW and JD off to granny Karen's to help her finish their job. MJ off to play somewhere. Me and Superman sneak off into the bedroom and talk about the boys. Me - oh now I need a little nap, 30 minutes. That's what I ask for and that's what I got. I love my husband! He keeps everyone quiet and let's me nap. During that 30 minutes my mom called but I called her back later. She just wanted to give me my birthday wishes and sing happy birthday to me. Thank you mom!

We sat down for supper and WW and JD kinda looked at each other and then they told me that I had to close my eyes, so I did. They brought in a beautiful little blue velvet box that had 3 tea light candles in it. The best part was the note that they had written to me. It said that I am the bestest mom ever. Those guys are wonderful!

Superman said that he was sorry that he didn't get me anything for my birthday and I explained to him that the property, him being home today, the boys, and everything that they all do for me is my gift. It is my gift from their heart to my heart that is given to me every day.

Superman, WW, JD and MJ, I love you all with all my heart!

Superman Returns

6:30am EST the phone rings. It's my wake up call from Superman. Oh and to think that I coulda slept in until 7am. The additional time gave me some quiet time before I had to wake the boys up. That quiet time is certainly needed with 3 boys, well it is for me anyway. Remember that up until March 20th we had no children and since then there are 3 that are 9, 11 and 13. Oh heck no, I'm not complaining.

I think I got the flight arrival times mixed up. LOL I was only an hour early though, not to bad. I used that time to take the boys on a couple of escalators at the airport. They loved it! And shoot - so did I. My mom went with us and she was so darn funny when she got off the escalator. She kinda did a little hop and then a step. Or was it a step then a hop?! Regardless, it really was funny. Keep in mind that she is 72 years old. I remember trying to get her on the Merry-Go-Round years back and I almost had to drag her to get her on it. She was scared silly the whole time. My dad was the adventurous one that rode all the wild rides with me and got me hooked on them. I'll tell more about my dad in another post. The memories are still very tender to me, so I have to work up the courage (that way I don't soak my keyboard with tears). Back to reality now...I also had time to walk the boys inside the airport and show them a few things. They were able to find the sign that showed the arrival and departure flight numbers and times. They saw a jet taxi down the runway and take off. There were about 25 service men and women in a group walking and we moved over to the side and stood still to let them walk pass. I told the boys that they should show respect to them at all times and I explained my beliefs of the situation. It was all a wonderful experience for the boys and for my mom and myself.

Finally - And to think that Superman would never walk down that long hall. I stood there and said "I wonder where Superman is?". With that said, I saw him. Walking toward us and wearing his Superman shirt. Now how darn cool is that! The boys gathered around me and JD and me started waving. Superman was looking right over us. He thought that he was gonna land and then direct connect me and we would pick him up outside the front doors of the airport. Surprise, surprise! He saw us when he was about 5 foot in front of us. His face lit up and JD ran to him and jumped on him, followed by WW and then MJ. I waited patiently for my bear hug and my sweet kiss. What a wonderful homecomeing for our Superman!

Another Week Gone By

My goodness! So much going on this week that I can't see straight. The adoption is getting closer and closer to the finalization date. We went this week to see our attorney (assigned by the state) so that our oldest son could sign the paperwork stating that he wants to be adopted. This is a requirement by law because he is 12 years old or older. Also we had to sign the legal documents about their birth dates and their names and so on and so on...Now we have an official court date and case number. We finalize the adoption on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007.

Maybe this is a good time to give each child a name instead of saying our oldest or our middle son, etc...because of freaks that are online I will assign each one a name for online purposes only.
WW is our oldest, he is 13.
JD is our middle child, he is 11.
MJ is our youngest, he is 9.

I have been working in the yard a lot this past week. Moving the horses from paddock to paddock to help save the grass. Superman cut down some low hanging limbs in the back yard and of course I had to get them up before all the leaves fell off. Well I didn't have to, but I certainly didn't want to rake them up. WW really was a huge help. He loaded most of the limbs on the little trailer we pull behind the 4 wheeler. Of course he got to drive the 4 wheeler. I say little trailer, shoot it is big enough that we haul a lawn mower on it and pull it behind our vehicle sometimes. It took us 2 days to get that done and then we had to burn the limbs.

This is the note that JD brought to me while I was

still in bed trying to catch up on my sleep. I thought that it was very thoughtful of WW to write this note to me. When

I called him on the Walky Talky, he was sitting and waiting patiently at their clubhouse. I told him to let me get dressed and brush my teeth and I would be right out.
I had to save this to show Superman and then I just had to take a picture of it for our family picture book.

I managed to do a little rearranging of a few patio stones around the back door. There was so much sand being brought into the laundry room that I thought that our next garden would be indoors. I cleaned the gutters and now they drain like RotoRooter has been here. I finally finished taking apart a couple of palates that I want to do a few crafts with. Maybe, just maybe I can get started on some cutting this weekend. I mowed my mom's yard (1 acre), I mowed our pasture (3 acres), I mowed our yard and the roads beside our property about another 2 acres. I managed to get caught up on smashing the cans that we recycle. WW and I went for a 4 wheeler ride, just for the heck of it. And I ran umpteen dozen errands.
I piddled around and got more things done, I just can't remember all of them.

I finally managed to start the LIFEPAC Placement Test with WW and JD. No, the test that I ordered did not come in before I started the testing. However, this afternoon I did get the call that the packets are in and I can pick them up any time. Things happen for a reason...
When I graded WW and JD's books that they finished, I was shocked. But then again I really have to wonder how many children could have scored the 70 that they are required to score in order to be in a grade level. I started WW and JD on a 3rd grade level and they both didn't score enough on grades 3, 4, 5 or 6 to be placed in either grade level. I don't blame them and I am certainly not upset with them. I know that it is the system and the public schools that are failing our children. With everything that the boy's have been through, I am not surprised. I have ask for some help from other home school parents in my yahoo home school group. And if you have any suggestions, I will gladly accept them.
I spoke to Superman about their scores and right now we are leaning toward starting them both at a 5th grade level and getting them some lower grade work books that may help them advance. Yes, we are still open for suggestions.

I called the home school store and ask for advise and now I am waiting on a return call. I see no reason to test the boy's anymore at this point. I know that they will give me a credit on the material that I ordered and paid for. The credit will come in handy, because I intend to buy more material.

Homeschool - The Beginning

Okay, I admit it. I took the plunge. Yeppers. While the boys were at camp this week, I snuck off to the home school store and started asking questions and I brought home a catalog and a little starting point guide. I have just about worn out the pages on both tidbits of information. The boys found my guide and my catalog and they had all kinds of questions and really showed genuine excitement.

Today I took a friend to have a medical procedure done, had to have my mom pick up the boys from camp because I wasn't able to be there on time. What a blessing both ladies are. I called my mom and ask her to meet me with the boys so that I could run an errand with them. She met me and when she pulled up beside my car, the boys called "Hey Mom!". What a feeling. I gather them up and off we went to run our errand. Oh yeah - that was after I thanked my mom and told her to be careful and that I love her. The boys were so curious about where we were off to. We are off to the home school store. "Oh did dad give you money to buy our test"? "Yes he did, are you excited about taking your placement test"? I could hear a chorus of 3 say "Yes Ma'am". Now that's what I'm talkin about! I really think that their excitement cup runneth over. And that's a good thing.

While we were at the home school store the boys were on their best behavior. I was very proud of them (to say the least). Darn it - they only had one placement test package. No big deal though, I ordered 2 more of the packets. We are getting all set and ready for action. When we got in the car, our middle son claimed the test packet as his. He wants to take it now. Mr. I don't like school wants to get started, NOW.

The placement packets should be in one day next week. I am considering getting them all started on taking this set of test now. There are 5 test books in the packet, History and Geography, Science, Language Arts, Math and Bible. It is the LIFEPAC collection. I could start one on Science, another on Math and another on one of the other subjects. And when the other 2 packets come in, I could continue on from there. One of the boys wants to wait and do it as a team and the other 2 want to get started now. I will have to see how our weekend goes. I think I may just wait on the other books. Then again...I am anxious to get started - NOW.

A Mother's Work

A Mother's Work is Never Done and That's Just Fine with Her.

Ask any mom how becoming a mother feels and she’ll tell you it is the greatest experience of her life. Nothing can top motherhood! Ask her again after a few months of little to no sleep, when her 2 year old has ransacked the entire house or her teenager has just started driving. She may give you an overwhelmed look and let out a heavy sigh, but her reply will remain the same. She wouldn’t trade the title Mom for the world, even on her child’s worst day. Just take a look at some of these real-life examples to see what we mean.

One mom of two, ages 4 and 5, had this to say when asked what she finds the hardest, yet most rewarding part of being a mom.

“I find disciplining them really hard. Sometimes you just want to give in and make peace, but when you hold out, they really start to get it and become better people.

I also love answering their questions, but find them challenging at times. They ask me what certain words mean or why something is a certain way. Often, they're asking about things no 4 or 5 year old should be concerned with. Not that they're taboo things or anything, just complex things that are tough to explain.”

Here’s what another mom of 2, ages 9 and 1, feels makes it all worthwhile.

“The other day my 21 month old was testing every thing with Mom. Getting into things he knew he shouldn't be, throwing tantrums and refusing to take his nap. You name it he was trying his hardest to see how far he could get with me. Needless to say, no work got done that day, the house was a disaster and this mama needed a break! I was almost ready to give up and say "Oh go ahead and tear all the DVDs off the shelf and have fun! Then, he came running up to me with the biggest smile on his face and his arms outstretched and gave me a big hug, patted my back and puckered his lips for a kiss! My heart melted, I smiled back, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him while all the stress and built up frustration of the day melted away!”

Being a mother is the toughest job any woman will ever have, but it also takes top honors as the most satisfying. There is nothing else in life that can make a woman ready to pull her hair out and scream, while evoking an extreme feeling of love at the exact same moment in time.
Moms invest so much in their children, most of which goes unnoticed until they are older. She gets tired, but never gives up because she knows the rewards for her perseverance will be awesome.

A mother’s work is never complete. Even when her children are grown and have children of their own she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Find family friendly product reviews, information and support from a variety of different moms from all walks of life at Moms Talk News. Join us, it’s Free!

Earth Friendly Baby

gDiapers! Eco-friendly Diapers. Flush, compost, or throw them away!

Summer Camp

And they're off!

I finally get a little bit of a break. Well that is what I call it anyway. The boy's started 4-H Summer Day Camp today. They are taking Sports Fishing I. The boy's have signed up for 3 camps this Summer. All of the camps are day camps. This means that I drop them off in the wee hours of the morning (8am) and pick them up everyday at 4pm. This morning they were so excited and full of energy that is was hard for me to contain them.

I have always dreamed of sending my kids to camp. Even when we didn't have children, I dreamed of someday, someway being able to send our children to a Summer Camp. Today that dream came true, not only for me, but for my husband and for our 3 boy's. Of course they have never been to anything like this before. We have talked to all of them about maybe joining something like Boy Scouts or 4-H. Anything to get them involved in that represents something positive in their lives. Before Friday they really didn't care anything about Boy Scouts or 4-H. But that was before they heard all of the wonderful things that the 4-H does and has. That was before they went with me to sign them up for camp. Now it's all a different story.

My middle child said that there was no way he was going to join the Boy Scouts because he did not want to stand in front of Walmart and sell cookies. He was so serious and funny when he said it. My husband and I tried our best to explain that it is the Girl Scouts that sells the cookies in front of Walmart. He still thinks that it is the Boy Scouts. LOL

Ever since Friday all of the boy's are all wanting to join 4-H. They want to join all the camps, clubs and groups that 4-H has to offer.

Me - well I am certainly enjoying my little quiet time. A great big thank you to my husband for allowing me to have this time to and for myself. Another great big thank you to our Gardian Ad Litem for making 5 people's dream come true. Thank you Superman! Thank you Ms. Maggie!

Karisma from Down Under

Welcome aboard Karisma. You can read more about Karisma in her
introduction. She has joined Love Country Living and we are so glad to have her. Karisma is from Australia. I love the way it is called Down Under. Karisma homeschools and crafts. I am very thankful to have her with us.

The Tooth Fairy

The first night that the tooth was pulled my little one completely forgot to put his tooth under his pillow. Yes, I know I was supposed to remind him. But it was so exciting and funny to actually get the tooth pulled that I forgot. Last night I finally remembered to remind him to put the tooth under his pillow. He was so concerned that she may not find the tooth. And I assured him that the "Tooth Fairy" was getting a signal at that very moment. And he looked at me and said "It's you, isn't it". Of course it isn't me, I don't have time to visit every little boy or girl that puts their tooth under their pillow. He just giggled and was at ease with my answer. Off to sleep he goes, dreaming about a little fairy coming to get his tooth and leave him money.

This morning he made his bed and then he came running into the dining room and announced that he found a dollar under his pillow. I said "Of course you did, it's from the tooth fairy". His reply was "Oh yeah" and smiled! My middle son then said, "Let me put it this way, there is no Tooth Fairy". I called his name and he knew that I meant to be quiet about the subject. He is the one with a loose tooth now. Hmmm...No "Tooth Fairy". When his tooth comes out I think he will believe again.

Oh to be so young and innocent and believe.

Today I saw the "Tooth Fairy". She was on the counter at the dentist office. She was beautiful. I had to tell the boys when they got home from school and they had all kinds of questions. What did she look like? What was she wearing? What was she doing? She is beautiful, she was wearing a georgous purple dress and she was napping.

Pulling Teeth

I had to pull my first tooth. No, not mine. Our youngest son has had a tooth loose for a few days now. Last night we finally got a piece of thread, hooked it to the tooth and....

Ok - pulling teeth really isn't funny. My husband said that he just couldn't do it. LOL Let the boys break an arm and he is right there to keep things calm and do what needs to be done. Let a little tooth need to be pulled and it just isn't his cup of tea.

One small bathroom, 1 adult, 3 boys, a cat and a piece of thread. I had to try 4 times to get the thread on the tooth. This is what I heard - "Blood is gonna squirt out", "This is really gonna hurt", "When mom pulls, I'm gonna run". It isn't easy to lasso a wiggly tooth and giggle at the same time. Finally, the tooth is in the lasso. Ok now to just pull. Yeah, right! One of the boys hides behind the shower curtain and one runs out of the bathroom and peeks through the crack in the door. "Is it out yet?" Not yet. He pulls the thread, and he pulls and he pulls. The thread goes 4 inches slack and he pulls 3 inches. It is so funny to watch his face and the others in their position of protecting themselves from the attack of the loose tooth.
The thread falls out of his mouth and wa la, he rolls the tooth out into his hand. What a beautiful sight. My husband steps around the corner wanting to know if the tooth is out yet. I put my hands up in the air like I just scored the worlds first touch down. "My first tooth!" Now the huddle around the tooth. Wow! We did it! And no one got attacked by the loose tooth.

Now our middle son says that he has a loose tooth. Yippee! We get to do this again.

Oh yeah, the cat. She just layed by the sink on the counter top and looked at us as if we were aliens from another planet.

My First Mother's Day

Today was my day! Mother's Day! Today was every Mother's Day!

With this being my very first official Mother's Day, I thought that I would tell you a little bit about how it went.

I got to sleep in, I didn't get out of bed until 9:30 am. Yes, it was nice. Once I got out of bed I could hear all the chatting with the kids. It was a sweet sound for my ears. This was the first time in my life that I have ever heard this sound on Mother's Day.

I started my morning task of brushing my teeth and getting dressed. I walked out of the bedroom and told everyone good morning. No one mentioned Mother's Day. The boys were doing their breakfast thing and going about their morning routine. I checked a few emails and then my dear Superman was starting to get out of bed and move around. After about 30 minutes I had to go and turn the horses out. I thought that I would just kinda piddle around the barn and in the yard, so that is what I did for about another 30 minutes. As I walked around the barn area and the yard, I was smiling and for some reason I felt happy in my heart. A happiness that I never remember feeling before. It felt really good.
When I walked in the house the kids were in their rooms doing something that their dad had them doing. Of course I knew that they were all up to something. LOL

My husband ask me to sit down and then he called in the boys. He huttled with them a second or two and then they ran off just a giggling. Then they all came back and presented me with the most adorable hand written cards. The youngest had made a gift in art class for me. They presented me with all the cards, a white paper bag and a little box.

I read the cards from each of the boys and cherished every word that was written, no matter how it was spelled. Then I opened the little white paper bag and inside was beautiful blue tissue paper. I teased them and ask if there was anything in there that would bite me. They giggled. Then I ask if I had to feed or water it. And they giggled even more. Finally I opened the little white paper bag and pulled out the beautiful blue tissue paper. I opened the tissue paper and wrapped inside was a beautiful little lady bug pin. Oh boy - now the eyes begin to swell with tears. Knowing that lady bugs are a sign of good luck and that the lady bug is used as the symbol for adoption, I knew that everything was coming together. I opened the box from my husband and the boys and inside was my gift card to my favorite store - Barnes & Noble Book Store. Loving the feeling of being a mom and loving what Mother's Day meant. All of the boys ended up in my lap with hugs and kisses and giggles.

Later in the day we all took a ride to the ocean. On the way to the ocean, we rode through the woods and looked at dear tracks. We talked with the kids and showed them how to spot a dear track. They loved it. My husband loved it. And, I loved it.

What a simple, joyous, wonderful day today was. My first Mother's Day.

The Lady I Call Mom

With the approaching of Mother's Day, I thought that I would give some random thoughts about my mom. First I have to say that we just celebrated her 71st birthday. My husband grilled his delicious hamburgers and I had baked a cake for her. As we sat around the table holding hands to bless our meal, I gave the honor of saying grace to my mom. She gave grace like only a mom can do and as she usually does. After her Amen - with my eyes closed I said that I had something to add to the prayer. I thanked God for giving me one more year to spend with her. And of course she and I cried and hugged after my Amen.

You have to remember that this will be my first Mother's Day. For some reason this day is really starting to seem special to me. Hmmm - I wonder why? LOL

My mom has always been a very simple lady. I may have heard her cuss once. And that is a big maybe. She always had a way of getting to us when we were children. I think it was "Just wait until your dad gets home". Yep - I think that may have been it. LOL I know it sure would set me straight.

My mom didn't learn how to drive until I was either in my senior year or I may have just graduated. My dad could never teach her to drive because he just didn't have the patience. The teaching was left up to my first husband. He was a saint with her. To this day she still drives. I kinda limit as to where she can drive, and the big city is out of the question. Her reactions are just not quick enough and I am more concerned that someone would run over her than her running over them.

My mom was born in a small town. The building that she was born in is now a restaurant. She has lived within 10 miles of where she was born for her entire 71 years. If I remember correctly her family only lived in 2 places. One of them was on the farm where her father worked. He rented the house from his employer. His earnings per week were enough for them to somehow buy a 120 acre farm. His earnings then for the week would not buy a loaf of bread in today's times. On this 120 acre farm was a tiny little house. If you remember the house from the TV series Little House on the Prairie, then you know what the house looked like. Yes, she did her homework by lamp light. Sometime in the 1940's and something to do with the war, the government built her family a concrete block house. Can you believe that both houses still stand today? Her father used the old house for a storage shed for corn and hay for the cows. It became the corn crib or so that is what they called it.

My mom lived in a house that had no insulation and no air conditioning. That is how she grew up. Her mom cooked on a wood stove until she passed away. I can remember the smells of that house and how I miss them. Like I said, both houses are still standing today. About 4 years ago the concrete block house was set on fire. It was damaged more by smoke than anything else. The fire damaged the old wiring and some damage the roof and rafters. My cousin now lives in the house. She renovated it and kept the same floor plans. Pretty much the only changes were to the ceiling to include insulation.

My mom met my dad at a church gathering. They courted and then they married. My dad was the world to my mom and of course my mom was the world to my dad. They were married for 43 wonderful years. My dad passed away in 2004.

My mom was always home for us. She was always there to give us hugs and kisses. She was always there after school. She has always been there for us. I know that one day she will go to be with God and my dad. I do not welcome that day.

My mom is a wonderful lady! I cherish my mom with all of my heart! I am thankful for my mom! I love my mom and I know she loves me!

Thank you for reading about the wonderful lady that I call mom.