Top bajillion reasons why I haven't blogged lately...okay so maybe it is less than that, but whatever!

The schedule has been NUTS lately...







Between working...









Shopping for a vehicle (isn't it shiny?)...

















High school beginning...isn't my Spooe cute?--there's a story behind that... See one year in Wichita, where the grades are split between schools to end Jr High with one's Freshman year and begin afresh in High School with one's Sophomore year, a banner was made welcoming the new Sophomores to campus. The school's colors were Blue & Gold, so the cheerleaders (or whoever it was) cleverly created said banner using the alternating colors. Except when read from a distance, only the letters in blue could be read...thusly the banner looked like it said "Welcome S-P-O-O-E!" which evidently caused enough of a stir to merit a newspaper story about it, and the slight misnomer stuck...although I have no idea if they're still calling Sophomores Spooes in Wichita or not.


... my canner going about every spare minute that it is able...












So my basement shelves can look like this...

I haven't had time to blog! But I have been reading yours and checking in on Facebook for those of you who have it...

Of school, early mornings and blogging

Peter ready for 8th grade...

Leah headed into 5th grade...(who let my baby get so big?!?)

School is underway--day three for Peter & Leah is today. Hannah, on the other hand, won't start until next Monday. So the "routine" is coming back--as are the early mornings. I'm yawning and stretching my way through, and inwardly whining the whole way, but if I don't get up before the kids--way before, disaster encroaches. So the motherly sacrifice is that it is before 7 right now, and I'm out of bed...blogging?!? The coffee is good.

The first day of school was, um, bumpy, but we got through it. The second day went much better. Here's hoping for the third...

Before I get the kids out of bed, I need to welcome my friend Janelle to blogland. She is an encouragement to me with her love of our savior and music all wrapped up in a smiling package. But still she's real, and often challenges me to press on. Her sense of humor, well, I'll let you decide for yourself, but I certainly appreciate it! Welcome aboard, Janelle!

I'm a fan of Michael's mom...

Yeah, after watching a couple of interviews with her, and seeing how she handles being the mom of an ADHD kid, I'm a fan of Debbie Phelps. I tried to write to her, but imagine that my note will end up in her junk pile...oh well. What an inspiration she is to those of us who are blessed to be trusted with ADHD children. (Okay, so I don't ALWAYS see it as a blessing, but...) I can tell that some days when Michael was younger, she must have felt like she was his only cheerleader, I feel like that some days. ADHD doesn't mean "A Devastating, Huge Disaster"--thanks, Mrs. Phelps, for reminding me of that, AGAIN.

Did I mention I hate shopping?

Well, I do. For vehicles especially. And here we are in the middle of being forced to do it. Ugh. We just want something "similar" to what we had--maybe with a tidge fewer miles, and they're all priced higher than what we can "do." I even had one salesman look at me somewhat incredulously when I informed him we don't want to finance anything--because we CAN'T! So he kind of shrugged his shoulders and didn't leave us with much hope. It is early in the process yet, yes, so we trust the right vehicle for us will show up. I just hope it is soon...

School? Bring it on!

For the most part the kids are eager to get back to school--even though Hannah won't admit it, she's ready for her social agenda to be more filled to capacity! Leah is VERY ready to be a 5th grader. Peter is looking forward to his final year of grade school, and I'm looking back wondering what happened to all that time? Wow! But in spite of the disappointment of having to cancel our travel plans earlier this summer, and our van getting totaled at the end, it has been a good summer. The kids really pitched in when it was time for Mark to go back to work as well as having me gone while they were home for the first time. I'm proud of them. No, things didn't always get done perfectly, but lowering one's standards from time to time decreases one's stress level significantly! We'll have to come up with one last hurrah of summer, wish it could be camping, but the vehicle that towed the camper is out of commission, and no longer ours.

FINALLY!

Yay! I have savored my first two BLT's of the season with my first two vine-ripened home-grown deliciously juicy tomatoes from my garden! There is NO comparison, and NO point in making one of these sandwiches with any so-called tomato from the store.

:-(

Pooh, we found out today that the van is totaled--the frame and axle were bent in the impact. So though we'd rather NOT be vehicle shopping right now, we're forced into it. sigh...

T-boned

Peter & I were working on his paper route this morning when we experienced a delay. Unfortunately, a "little old lady" got confused and ran a red light. I feel bad for her. But I am glad to say that other than a few scrapes & maybe bruises, all involved are okay. Can't say that for either vehicle, though.

The view from the back is hard to see, but the right rear wheel is bent.

While I do like a good steak, this is never a good deal...

Mourning Saturdays...

I'll get stuff done tomorrow, but it won't be the same. Mark has to work again. (He will have to every alternating Saturday, so I'll be getting used to it.) It seems like it was only last weekend that he worked, but no, last weekend was our insanely busy weekend in which we barley had time to turn around before we had to be off to another location. All fun stuff, mind, but still!
So Mark will be working tomorrow, but THANKFULLY the cooling unit has been installed, and to my knowledge is up and functioning. Woo-hoo! Hopefully that means that he won't melt into the bed and stay there once he gets home. Heat sure takes a lot out of a body!
Anyway, I'd better get running, and orchestrate things for my kids to accomplish in our absence today. Toodle-oo!