1/9/12 - Crisis Cleaning

Darin and I woke up at 6:20 - the time they are usually out the door!  We are usually supposed to check in at 6:40 but he said he had changed it to be 6:50 check in time and they actually made it in time!


Crisis Cleaning 04/04 by FlyLady Tools | Blog Talk Radio

Around 7 this am I tried to get this downloaded onto my new phone and couldn't get it!  I think I finally got it downloaded around 1pm.  I didn't end up listening to it today. Thankfully I got a LOT done today though.  The kitchen (table, counter, sink area, floor) look so much better.  I was able to vacuum the LR and sweep the hallway and front entrance room.

I picked the kids up at school at 3pm and Alexa said she did really good on the GATE test and that she was the first one done.  We did homework when we got home.  I made hotdogs in bread (with Panini grill) and also had a side of sauted onions - YUM.   Alexa didn't get to watch any tv (asking for a family movie) because she kept arguing with Jake.  I told her I would extend GRACE to her and let her watch something if she stopped arguing - she argued.  I did RAZ kids with both kids. 

I feel really tired tonight so instead of going to bed around 1am again - I hope to fall asleep very soon!  Shouldn't be a problem, I have been on the "nods" for an hour now.

Past News - Remembering Lenya Avery Lusko

Past News:
http://blog.greglaurie.com/ - Remembering Lenya Avery Lusko who died 12/20/12 at 5 yrs of age (born 9/8/07 - Jake's birthday.)   Look at his 12/27 post - parents handle this so AMAZINGLY.  God is our comfort.

4 children die in house fire outside Atlanta - Yahoo! News

4 children die in house fire outside Atlanta - Yahoo! News

So sad and an adult and 4 kids also died in KY in a fire.  :(   I pray for the safety of all children all over the world!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/father-4-children-killed-rural-ky-house-fire-215503921.html

1/8/13

Up at 5am and took a nice undisturbed bath - ahhhhh...!!!  The kids were up and ready to go by 6:15 so that was nice. Not sure why I didn't leave until about 6:40...

The 8:30 mtg was cancelled. Talitha was sick - thinks she might have pna even.  Had a sonogram at 12:30 but was able to move it up to 10am.  She was going to go right after to try to see her PMD at 11am - then home and to bed.  Christina and I kept very busy.  I was really busy with Fellowship things - GI & Emerg ED both had downloaded a lot of items into my file so I had to clean that out, had another updated application and a new one, started working on 2 itineraries, etc...

Darin called me at work when I was about to walk out the door at 3:30 (took a few calls from me to him as I couldn't hear him and he thought I was joking) to let me know he could pick up the kids.  :)  I stopped by Food 4 Less on the way home and got some groceries.  They were home when I got here and Darin was working on emptying the fish tank (no leaks!)  :)  He helped me tear up cooked chicken while I got the easy chicken enchiladas ready to go into the oven.  Jake helped empty pinto beans into the saucepan with the melting cream cheese and rotel tomatoes (good substitute for salsa!).   DELISH!!  Mmmmmm Good! :)

Darin went straight to bed after dinner and was on the computer - he has been doing that a lot lately again.  Leaving it up to me to clean up and take care of the kids...  Alexa has a GATE test tomorrow am so I showed her some sample questions.  She read some Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Darin.  She loves that book and reads many pages at a time!  :)  Darin did do RAZ kids with Jake. :)

After cleaning up some I brushed my teeth with Alexa then got under the covers in the pink room and started reading more of New Moon.  She was using her new video camera to get some video of me reading.  Jake came in and hadn't brushed his teeth yet and I told him to go have his Dad brush his teeth with him, go to the bathroom and then Daddy could tuck him in tonight.    That was around 7pm as they are to go to bed early tonight so A can rest up for her test tomorrow! 

I read my book until 9pm - not done yet but it is very good.  I had looked up some Sally Clarkson youtube videos last night and watched some.  Today I had brought home a Parents magazine and read a good article My Kids Won't Listen.   Very good - some good reminders that I need to start doing again.  1) Say it with a single word  2) Provide Information (Milk spoils when it's left out.)  3) Give choices (You can put on your hat now or put it on after you miss the next ride.)  4) State your expectations (After you've brushed your teeth and are totally dressed and ready to go, you can watch a little TV.)  5) Name their feelings (You seem really frustrated.  - then just listen.)

Well, it is 9:30 now and I might just do some checking on my emails, facebook, etc...  Night!  :)

1/7/13

Oh... back to school and work for all of us.  Darin said he wasn't able to sleep last night and was already up, had a bath and dressed at 5:30.  He got the kids lunches together.  Good thing we had the kids go to bed early last night.  They woke up pretty good.  I made a smoothie for b-fast and the kids were ready to go by 6:10.  I didn't like watching them leave (as I am still thinking of the kids from Newtown, CT.) 

I left for work around 6:30 and got there a little early.  It was good to see Talitha again but she is a tad sick.  We had a pretty good day today.  I did get a msg back from Deb & later from Isabel re: msg I sent on Fri (per JR's rqst).  The 4 of us will be meeting at 8:30 tomorrow am.  I hope Christina is able to attend as well.  I am reading New Moon so I read that during lunch.

I picked the kids up at Primetime at 4pm.  Jake left his lunchbox & coat at school and was throwing a fit about it so we went and all the doors were locked like I thought they would be and he continued throwing fits!  I asked him, "Jake, what good is it to be angry about something that you can't change?  It will be there tomorrow."  He did calm down after that.

On the way home Darin called telling me about how Joe wants to be invited to the next lunch - not going to happen...  Alexa reminded him to get apples and bananas (tortillas too!) 

At home I made fish sticks for fish tacos.  I had A do most of her book report on a book she was finishing reading at Primetime when I got there.  J had a LOT of items to complete for Dec.  I didn't have him return it this am as there was so much he had to do.  Now there are only a couple things he didn't do so I am ok with returning it like that.

The kids use really bad tones with each other.  I kept having them repeat what they said in nice tones.  However, A has a smart mouth and got some mean looks and spankings from me.  J was there (we were brushing our teeth) and said that he thought I was going to spank him too...   I had a talk with both of them after A had a real cry and apologized.  I let them know that when they use bad tones I will be having them repeat what they say in nice tones as we shouldn't be talking to one another that way - it isn't acceptable.  I also let them know that they will get spankings when they are disrespectful to Darin or myself.

They at least went to bed in good moods.   I need to get on the internet and read up more on the Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and some of her other books too!

Lord, help me!!!

1/6/13

I can't believe that J slept in until 7 and Alexa till 7:30!  Made smoothies for b-fast.  Alexa and I went to church.  We got home and D took J to look for shoes.  A stayed home because she wanted to make a video showing her mermaid powers!  We were still doing that when D & J got home.  He wanted to take them to the aquarium but A didn't want to go so he said, "OK J, let's go!"  Then J didn't want to go either.  Darin parked his car and started cleaning out the big tank he got yesterday morning.  I helped him move it a couple times.  He did a good job cleaning it. 

I returned a duplicate cookbook that Debbie got me and bought Play and Learn Spanish as well as a cursive dry erase pad for Alexa (and J when he is older).  A had gone with me and we must have been there about 2 hours.  While I was sitting looking at cookbooks she ventured to the row behind me where on the bottom shelf they had sex books...  She brought it to me.  I calmly explained to her that that is something that we don't look at - it is a sad shame that books like that are even made and that the book store even carried something like that.  Once I realized it was on the bottom shelf, I should have mentioned something to the establishment. 

When we got home I changed the batteries in the Vtech camera and it works great.  (Amazon is selling the same camera and case for $150!!!)  I made some frozen Chinese chicken for dinner.  After we ate I made 2 bags of popcorn and we watched ?New Mommy?  It was cute and the kids had to brush their teeth and go straight to bed (7pm) as they have to be up early for school tomorrow.

Darin still didn't change the time the Jacuzzi goes off (4:30am) so I am sleeping in the pink room again tonight. 

Back to work tomorrow for me too so I better get to bed soon...  :)

1/5/13

 The kids were awake by 6:15 and I was relaxing in bed reading New Moon (2nd book in the Twilight series).  I was so busy taking it easy that before I realized it, Laurie was going to be over in 45 minutes!  I hurried and got dressed and made us all smoothies with bananas, orange, apple, greek strawberry yogurt and spinach - YUM! 

Laurie and Peanut made it over early (MIRACLE for Laurie!!) at 8:15 instead of 8:30 and then ended up having to wait for us until 8:40.  We were at Amvets when they opened at 9am and we spent more time there than expected!  We got back to my place at noon and she was supposed to be at Christina's (& Jayden's) at noon.  Laurie spent about $70 and me about $35.  She got a lot of clothes for Peanut, some toys for Peanut and Jayden, and a new car seat.   I got some clothes for Alexa and some toys for Jake including a Bop It, V-tech camera, semi truck that carries about 48 hot wheel cars, a "CARS" hotwheel racer that races 10 cars at a time and a long nerf sword.  Oh yeah, I got myself a pair of rollerblades too.  I don't remember if I have a pair from a long time ago or not but I have been wanting to go and they are a nice pair that fit for only $8.  :)

Like I said, we got home around noon and Laurie and Peanut took their treasures and headed out.  Darin was gone - meeting up with his brother David to go to Costco.  I took the kids to UTC for lunch at Rubios.  I had some old tickets for ice skating.  I went to the window and they wouldn't honor them so we left.  Of course, the kids weren't too happy but I had forewarned them that it might be too expensive and if it was, I would take them to another place sometime soon.  (I have good tickets for 4 to go to the ice skating rink in Mira Mesa. These only cost $20 and ice skating at UTC for the 3 of us would have been $40.)

We came home and played whatever Jake wanted to play for 1 hour.  We played with his hotwheels and new semi and racer then for about 40 minutes then rode our bikes outside until he threw a fit with 5 min left to spare.  We came inside and Alexa wanted to watch the show from yesterday again (Something about Cupid...)  I had cut up oranges and apples to munch on during the movie.  When using the peeler on the orange I cut my left had about 1/2"!  It is kinda deep too.

Darin got home around the later part of the movie.  He went to his room and got on the computer (I think to look for the supplements for Alexa as Costco didn't have them.)  I made Jake a PB sandwich - he never tires of them.  Darin had eaten late with David and wasn't hungry.  I made Alexa, Jake and I a PB banana nutella smoothie (YUM!) and Alexa and I had buttered blueberry bagels.

I went jacuzzin with the kids but J wasn't minding so I asked Darin to take him in the house.  A&I must have been in for about 35 min or so when she decided to get out and get her mermaid outfit.  We stayed in another 20-25 min or so. 

A wanted me to research how to make a video look like she has powers.  I figured out on YouTube how to cut out some of the middle of the video so I think we are good to go on that!  :)  However, it took me a long time to figure it out so she was asleep before I was done at around 8:30pm.  Good thing we had already brushed our teeth.  I carried her to bed and she woke enough to ask for her Dora comforter along with the Diego one that was on her bed.  Jake hadn't brushed his teeth but he was still awake - tired, but awake.  He had me brush his teeth.  He is very particular on his blankets too.   He sleeps on top of his bedding and likes to only sleep in his underwear, covered by his blue blankie.  He has a CAR blanket which he likes me to put on top of the blue blanket and make sure none of the blue blanket is showing.  I did this then went into the bathroom when I heard him change position and call me to cover some of the blue blanket that was showing!  SERIOUSLY!!!   I let him know that I had covered it and he needs to be able to take care of that himself, especially if he is going to be moving and uncovering parts of the blue blanket himself.

I let Darin know that the past couple nights the jacuzzi has woken me up around 4:30 am (a new time since he and the kids cleaned it.)  He said he will fix that tomorrow.  Tonight I am sleeping in the pink room.

I plan to read some more of "New Moon" so goodnight!!  :)  (Had to try inserting a pic from the web cam!!!  This is easy and I will try to do it with the kids soon.)  :)