Month: April 2006

  • OUR WEEKEND....

    Hey Everyone.....hope you are having a great weekend.  Ours is going pretty good.   But very busy trying to get caught up with things around the house.


    SATURDAY
    We went to the library and to the new Aldi to get groceries.  It was nice to have one closer now.   I bought enough groceries for 11 days and only spent $97.00.  I am really trying to budget wisely!  Then we came home and I asked to see Erik's homework.  Hubby had done homework with Erik on Friday night and Friday night when I got home Erik said he was all done.    So Saturday I ask to see it and find he wasn't done at all!  He had pulled a fast one on his Dad and his Dad wasn't too happy.  


    So hubby went to work and I got Erik working on homework.  He did it very well and got it all done so he could watch a movie with Josh and Amy tonight when they babysat.   I sure wish that Erik would work as well with hubby as me.   He knows I won't put up with it and he will have to do the homework.   He knows that with Dad having ADD, that he will forget about things and takes advantage of that.  


    Hubby just asked me to write him a checklist for each day I am gone in Duluth.  So I will get that done for him.  It will be helpful for everyone I think. 


    Saturday night hubby and I went on our first date since January.   We saw the movie Silent Hill, not sure I really liked it all that much.  It didn't have much of a story line, but plenty of gore!!


    While we were out last night,   Josh brought in the loft Bed for Tommy's room and set it up for us.   Tommy is very excited about having the new bed in his room.   He even slept in it last night all night!!!   I was scared he might roll off the bed so hubby took the gate from the steps and put it down the side of the bed.   Hubby is so smart!


    SUNDAY


    Hubby and Josh aren't feel very well this morning.  They both have  upset tummies so we will be home today.  I have plenty of laundry to keep me busy that is for sure!! 


    I am off to straighten up Tommy's room and reorganize the new furniture that Josh brought in for him.  


    We are trying to figure out summer plans for the boys.   Erik and hopefully Tommy too will be taking classes in the Kaleidoscope program at Century College.  Other summers there was no way I could swing the extra $100 or $200 a month for classes for Erik.  I made a deal with Erik he can pick one fun class he wants to take for each one his dad and I pick.   Hubby and I picked a brush up Math course that is for 4 days and is $95.00 I think.   We also picked a study skills course also only 4 days.  The classes are sort of expensive, but since it is doubtful the school is going to provide summer school programming for Erik, we need to invest in his future!   Luckily my hubby feels the same way and will spend the money for the kids education no problem.   I have also considered asking the school district if there are any teachers who do private tutoring over the summer.   If I could pay a teacher 20 or so a hour to work with Erik it would benefit us.   I thought only about 4 hours a month to monitor what we are doing with Erik and give us guidance on what to work on with Erik.   That might be more than we can afford, we are going to set down with our budget in June and figure it all out.    Josh's child support will end so we will have less money in the home anyways.  


    Of course none of the classes for Tommy coorespond with then weeks my daycare goes on vacation.   ARGH!!   So I will have to pay double alot of week this summer.  I still pay my SIL even if Tommy isn't there.   


    For Tommy I need to have in one or two classes this summer to continue to work on separation issues.   I don't want to regress on that over the summer and have problems again when preschool starts next year.   Next year in preparation for Kindergarten, Tommy will be going to preschool 3 days a week.  Then the following year he will be starting at Parochial school and will be attending full-day Kindergarten. 


    Have a great day!

  • Nearly 9:00pm....I guess my work day should end now.  I am heading home, hope you all have a good weekend!

  • AAAAAH.....Friday night and I am at work.  Fun, eh?   Since I was out of the office three days this week at home, I am SWAMPED!!  I have made it through about 1/2 of my voice mails and taken care of them, but I see it is blinking at me again!  I have a ton of paperwork to do this evening so I better grab some supper and get going. 


    I am envious of Journeyof7 and her date night tonight!  I decided hubby and I really need to make a point of getting out together alone.  I can't remember the last time we did that.  Maybe in January for my birthday??  So I have already made arrangements for a babysitter and I will let him pick a movie!  I hope we will be able to plan something twice a month to start with at least.   Weekly seems pretty hard to do with our schedule and Josh's.  Josh watches the kids for us. 


    Off to work....Have a great weekend!

  • PROTECTED

  • Can't sleep.....GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...........


  • Most of Josh's life I thought he looked like my family.......but here is Josh with his biological father and the similarities are definitely evident!!  Neither of my sons look like me, both look so much like their fathers.  I think I need to have a little girl!

  • Hello......

    I am being a bit lazy today...I better really get in gear now!    I got up and got Erik off to school.  Once Erik was gone I went back to bed since Tommy was still sleeping.   Then I dropped Tommy off at daycare and ran a few errands.   I went to kohls to look for a shower curtain.    I saw they had Lee Casual Capris on sale....17.99 normally 36.00 so I boguht 3 pairs for work.  And the funnest part......I grabbed a size 6 and I could wear them!!!!   WOW!!   But I like my pants a bit baggy so I bought the size 8 instead.   I don't seem to be losing weight much but I have gone down a few pants sizes!


    I am off to find some lunch and do laundry.   Have a great day!

  • Supper is on......

    Making Erik's favorite tonight...............


    CHICKEN BURRITOS
    Serves 6


    2 cups leftover chicken meat, chopped
    1 16-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
    1 teaspoon cumin
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1/2 cup jarred salsa (or more if you wish)
    6 whole wheat flour tortillas


    Optional Garnishes: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, salsa, avocado slices, chopped tomato


    Take the leftover chicken you've picked off the bones of the bird and mix in a saucepan with beans, cumin, garlic powder and salsa. Cook over medium-low heat to blend.


    Warm up the tortillas; fill with chicken/bean mixture and garnishes of your choice.


    Per Serving: 363 Calories; 9g Fat; 18g Protein; 51g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 27mg Cholesterol; 684mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 1/2 Grain (Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

    SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with a big green salad.


    ** MENU MAILER - SAVING DINNER** 

  • Man what a morning....do you ever feel that doing the right thing is not worth it.   I am feeling that today and need to really pray about this one.   I am ready to throw my hands up in the air in defeat.   Wait I think I already did....I am feeling very defeated. 


    I jsut opened my devotion for today....and read...........


    Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing - Psalm 100:2


    "A willing spirit changes the drudgery of duty into a labor of love."  Hmm...I just not sure I can muster the willing spirit again and again.  How many times are we suppose to continue to do this to ourselves?





    Moving onto my day.....hubby left already for his conference.   He wasn't so happy when he left and I hate that.  I think he really needed the days away from  his work and home.  And next week I get 5 days away from the office and home.  WOW!!


    But today I am needing to get things done around the house.  I plan on cooking up some chicken breasts to chopped up and freeze.  Clean the entire upstairs and work 4 hours for my employer!  Not that I really feel like doing any of it, but it has to be done.


    I am feeling a bit sad so I really need to focus on my blessings!   Today I saw this quote "Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how  to fly."  Isn't it funny how a quote is presented to you at just the right time.....this was what I needed today!   I am blessed with many many fabulous friends.   But today I am extremely grateful for two good friends at work.   In March when my kids got sick before I went on vacation one of my friends offered to do two of my placement visits for me and she had to go all the way to Duluth!.  She also offered to help with Josh's open house and paint and make food.  She is fabulous!!  She is extremely humors and always brightens my day.   My other friend offered to attned court for me if the summons came while I was gone.  And it wasn't an easy one.....she is always willing to help and we are weight watchers buddies!  She is more successful at the weight loss than I...she already hit goal!   I am very proud of her!   So why should I be sad.....I am truly blessed in so many other ways!   Sometimes you just have to refocus on that!


    Off to try and get some things done before the kids get home from school!  Have a great day and count your blessings!

  • Things are Moving Along....

    We are still working on getting all the computers set back up.  Hubby's is the last one to need to be set up.  They are working on that now.   Last night I finished Josh's application for college and mailed it.  It is official....no turning back!!   I completed the online application for financial aide...YIKES!!  It said the parental comtribution has to be over 13,000.00 based on our income.  YIKES!!  I sure hope that includes his room and board to live here.   We really don't have an extra 13,000 to spend on Josh's education right now.   We are still paying off debt from when hubby was unemployed for over three years.   It doesn't help that his new job at the college was a pay cut...so it has been difficult.   Oh...well God provides....we always find a way to make it.  I will just trust that that will continue to be the case.  


    We are blessed with great friends and neighbors!!   Of course a good friend allowed us the time share in Florida!!  We would have never been able to afford the trip without that.  Yesterday I was out chatting with my neighbor.  Gotta love the warm weather, you get to see everyone again.   We were talking about graduation and things and I said we are going to make chicken salad and I wasn't sure what else yet.   He said his contirubtion to the party would be the chicken salad.  He works for a cafetieria/catering sort of place and they have a great chicken salad.  I jsut have to let him know how many people will be attending the open house.   We were talking about us rearranging our house and I said I was going to get Josh a fridge for his bedroom.  My neighbor had one going unused in his garage and sold it to me for very little!  YEAH!!  See how God provides for us......


    Lastly today at church in the bulletin was an annoucement about the mission kids doing a work day to raise money for their trip.  Hmmm.....hubby decided it would be good to hire 4 of them to help finish painting the living room!   It should be helpful!  I signed up for April 30th, but realized that I would be out of town that day.  So I will call the church and ask to sign up for May 13th instead.   I am always amazed at how God provides for us.......


    Blessings to you and your family this Easter Day!