Our Current Studies!

This is for all of our family and friends that are wondering what the kiddos are doing in school right now!!

David:

Geometry:  Logic problems/proofs. (David's favorite!)
English: Writing a research paper currently and studying gerunds and participial phrases with diagramming.
Geography: Studying the Northeastern U.S.
Biology: Mitosis, meiosis, and starting genetics chapter.
Spanish: Studying uses of of "ser" and "estar" with prepositions and relative pronouns.
Bible: Christ and the religious leadership.

Literature will begin in about 6 weeks after his Grammar/Writing section of English is completed. We will also be doing some keyboarding and working on some sort of building project??? We have not decided what as of yet! David is also in a shooting club with 4-H, teen helper for two other 4-H clubs, in Toastmasters, Teen court (prosecuting attorney), and in January will be the president of his shooting club. He is also involved in our homeschool group.

Braydon:

Phonics: Learning more consonant blends...still working only on the short vowel sounds in reading.
Math: Addition, subtraction, time, perfecting counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s, money, and introducing fractions.
Science:  We just studied the migratory patterns of several birds, and are currently learning about ants, bees, and some other insects.
Social Studies:  Learning the capitals, flags, nicknames, and one special point of interest of each state...currently Montana!  Just finished a study on Christopher Columbus and haven't picked our next person of interest yet!!
Bible:  Junior Bible Quiz and we do a daily bible reading/lesson.
Writing:  Practicing sentence structure and punctuation.

We are also working on the calendar/weather. After Christmas will be doing some music lessons! It will soon be time to start T-ball after that.  Braydon is also in a shooting club with 4-H and two other 4-H clubs.  He is the photographer/reporter for his shooting club. Braydon is also involved in our homeschool group!

Hope this answers your "wonder what those Smith boys are studying/up to?" questions!
Be blessed!!

Funny Shorts.

Braydon comes up with some funny material! I have to write them down as he blurts them out or I forget...here are a few of the recent ones:

• "Mom, I am ready to watch "Diarrhea of a Wimpy Kid" when you are ready to put it on!"

• The song "Oh How He Loves Me" is really "WoooHaaa He Loves Me"....and everyone else in the world sings it incorrectly!

• "Mom, I seriously doubt I will be counting by these ridiculous 2s in Heaven, so could you really just let me know why you are inconveniencing me with this lately?"

• "Daddy, I would play some basketball with you, but I don't really want to put the smack down on you in front of your wife, ya' know, Mom."

• Getting his hair cut at Sport Clips, seeing all of the baseballs and footballs and such..."Boy, I hope this lady can cut my hair without watching the game on television. If she screamed, "touchdown", and made the wrong move...my hair could get whacked!  That would be an awkward day on the job for her!"

Will post more as he supplies them....

Already??

Really? Is it time for this already?  Jeez!  I cannot believe that we are researching colleges for my kiddo!  Time really flies, doesn't it?  This is exciting but scary for me all at once.  I am very proud of David and the young man that he has become and is becoming, but YIKES, why is he getting so old so quickly??  It probably doesn't go as fast for him as it does his Momma...I remember it went terribly slow when I was his age, but here I am...about to be the parent of a college kid....what in the world?? I am too young for this...hehe.

I will be buying some ACT/SAT preparatory stuff this summer for him to get started on and he will be hitting it hard for 2-3 years.  A very wise, wonderful woman did tell me a great tip which I plan on putting into place!  She said to treat ACT/SAT prep as you would treat a part time job.  Don't let him take a job outside of your home.  Make the 10-15 hours a week that he would spend at a job studying for his exams.  What a great idea!!  If you score a 32 (I think) or higher on your ACT in our state, you receive the Governor's Scholarship, which is fifty or sixty thousand dollars (I cannot remember the exact amount anymore) and then the school of choice comps the rest of the tuition costs that the scholarship does not cover, if any.  If you have any left over....it can be applied to graduate school! Awesome!  There is NO part time job that will pay off like that, in my opinion!  That is what we will be working towards.

The Funk.

Our household has been battling the "funk" now for a week or so and it has led to, at least it feels like, no other human life contact of any sort!  I MISS PEOPLE!  We, unfortunately, have not made it to ANY of the kids' Christmas parties or church events in the last week! I am feeling good, though, that we are getting through the "yuk" now rather than through the Christmas holiday. 

The stomach/intestinal bug has been going through our little town and thus far we have not been blessed with it, thank you Jesus, but I have been on high alert with leaving the house in our "weakened" state, so needless to say.....we are all craving some friend time!!

Friends:  I will be calling all of you very shortly for play dates and Mommy time....miss you!

Ol' Billy Sure Hits the Nail On the Head!

Here is Billy Graham's prayer for our nation:

"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.  We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values..
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.  We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.  We have killed our unborn and called it choice.  We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.  We have abused power and called it politics.  We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.  Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!"
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called "One nation under God!"

Preach it, Billy!

December Children!

I love this time of year...snuggling on the couch watching movies with the kiddos, drinking hot cocoa....treasured memories for this momma!! 

Braydon waiting for who knows??


  

The boys in Indiana...it was COLD!!

We were able to go to Indiana for Thanksgiving, but it was a rather short trip....just grateful to be able to see some family...wish we could have seen more, but feel very blessed that we made it there!!

Today's Writing Assingment...Imagery Poems!

Braydon did a really great job on his poem creating today.  He had so much fun writing his imagery poem that we did four of them!  Here they are:

Tarantulas

His bite really hurts

like a shot in the arm

and it makes you shout!

The Hawk

He swoops down to the ground

like a missile from a jet

and he grabs his prey.

Swords and Guns

They slice and make holes

like construction tools

and are very deadly.

The Lion

He looks for food

like a man that hunts

and bites and bites!



He loved building the analogies and it was cracking me up listening to his little mind create! It was a fun day in school!

My Handsome Kiddos!

I cannot believe how fast they grow!  I love these here Smith boys!  (That was Arkansas slang just in case you were wondering.)

Updates From Our Shooting Sports 4-H Club.

Tonight our shooting club held elections.  David is the new president as of January 1st and Braydon will be the photographer/reporter.  ( I am assuming I will be assisting on the latter of the two..haha.)

Still working on the Hunter's Education course!!

Japan Man.

Hubby is in Japan....it's weird not having the ability to call or text him any time that I would like.  I cannot wait until he is home, but I know it is a lifetime experience that he is creating for himself.  I guess I am a little jealous that I am not experiencing it with him....

He will be home on Friday....cannot wait to see him!

A Smith Funny.

David and Braydon were playing Monopoly Jr. today and Braydon cupped the dice in his hand and lifted it up to his mouth like the Vegas high rollers do.....but instead of blowing on the dice, he sniffed it!  Oops!  Guess he forgot exactly how he saw it done on television.
We all laughed...

The Latest Smith Scoop!

Just to summarize, briefly, our life in October has been chaotic and extremely busy...here's a quick rundown of the events that stick out:

• Went on family vacation...FUN!  Haven't decided yet if cruising is the ideal vacation for me, but we had a great time!
• Family illnesses, Chris ill with the flu, Braydon with some head issues (looking like it was encephalitis brought on by skeeter bites!), David with a cold, and me with my upper/lower GI issues!
• School
• Braydon's 4-H club booth at the fair won Best in Show in two counties!
• David grew...more!
• Braydon finished out his soccer and tennis season.
• I had an emergency colonoscopy/EGD...good times!
• Attended a couponing class with my homeschool group...very insightful and inspiring!
• David and Toastmasters.
• Still trying to plan my garage sale.
• Braydon's first Junior Bible Quiz meet will be coming up next Friday night...he is ready to hit that buzzer!
• Chris is going to Japan in a couple weeks for work.
• I steam cleaned the floors in the laundry room with a very small brush, on my hands and knees...NOT FUN!  It took about seven hours collectively! 
• Chris cleaned all of the windows outside...that is such a chore...thanks, honey!
• Christmas party and field trip planning.
• School pictures.
• Braydon will be donning an Anakin Skywalker costume this year for Halloween.
• Attended an awesome pumpkin patch in Dixie, Louisiana with the homeschool group.
• Starting to plan vacation 2011.
• Winter clothes shopping...YUK!  Boys have one long sleeve shirt that still fits from last year!
• I am going to start running again...maybe will train for a marathon....who knows how inspired I will become....looking for a running partner, anyone interested??:)
• We carved pumpkin with Braydon doing the pumpkin prayer...really sweet!
• David is working on his hunter's education license....for shooting purposes only...we are not going to do the hunting thing.
• Chris and I are attending a bible study on Acts at church.
• Bowling with our homeschool group.
• Very frustrated about the Fuji apple situation in our town....they rarely stock them anymore!!

It has been quite a jam packed month and I am glad October is almost over...hopefully November will be a little more calm!  Also, thanks to all of our friends for the prayers and help with our family's medical situations this month....what a blessing to have you!

Halloween Fun!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Today It Begins!

Today, after finishing packing and all my other last minute details, we are setting out for vacation!!  So, with that said....I have no time to blog!

Praying that we have a great time.....

ALLERGIES.....AAAHHH!

You know it is bad in your neck of the woods when you have to keep your 24hr Claritin next to your bed at night so when the 24th hour hits at 5 a.m. you can take your pill immediately!

Well, that situation is mine!  I will have to give credit where credit is due, though.  Claritin is keeping my misery at a minimum for about 22 1/2 hours of the 24...which is pretty good.

Maybe in the Caribbean the pollen or whatever is in the air here will be better......

Oops!

Wednesday night at church, Powerhouse (the teen's church) had refreshments for the kiddos.  They passed around Capri Suns and HUGE chocolate chip cookies.  David decided that this was just too much of a temptation and decided he would have a big ol' cookie!  Well, that would have been just great if he wasn't gluten free....

The next morning he couldn't get out of bed without feeling like he was going to be sick because he was so dizzy.  I thought maybe he was coming down with something or that I had accidentally given him food with gluten in it (before I was educated in the GF world, I had, on occasions, loaded him up with gluten and didn't know it).  So, I started going through everything that I had fixed him for the past couple days...nope, nothing!  He must be coming down with something, I thought.  NO, not right before the cruise!  Anyway, he was better around 3 or 4 in the afternoon...he ate..showered...went to a soccer game with me....then he handed me a note when he was off to bed telling me what he had done the night prior....at least he told me the truth.  I know it has to be extremely hard to not eat certain things as a kid; I reminded him to continue to pray for help and shared this verse with him:

1 Corinthians 10:13  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

I know David can do it.....

Our Church Worship Team.

Chris and I just love the worship at our church!  Our church is extremely blessed by having such talent up on the stage. We just found out that the lead worship pastor has written a couple of the songs we sing! How cool!  He is an amazing singer and we are getting to know that his personality is just as wonderful. We were able to have lunch with him and his family this past weekend and we had a great time!  They are wonderful people and we definitely look forward to our next outing together.  I know my hubby would love to rock out on the drums with him ! :)

I just love the way God puts amazing and interesting people in my life!

It's Crunch Time!

Ten days until our vacation departure and my "To Do" list just keeps growing even as I mark things off of it....wonder how that happens! I have completed everyone's online check in for the event and that makes it feel even more close! I think I may have to medicate myself these next ten days so I am able to stay calm and stay clear of all anxiety and panic stricken moments :) !! I cannot believe I am wasting time typing this blog when I am really not even saying anything ! Gotta get movin'! Times-a-wastin'!

Let's see if at this time next week if I am even able to construct a sentence for a blog!! haha

Just A Side Note!

My birthday was last week and I suppose it will go down in our family history as a non-existent event since not one picture was taken of me or anything about that day....hurumph! I guess I will have to cut the gang a little slack, I mean, they are just boys!

Extra Curricular Activities This Year....Thus Far!

David:

• Shooting Sports (4-H club) David is currently the Secretary for the group....In December, he is going to try and go for President/Vice President or Photographer...he is not a big fan of recording the minutes in the meetings!
• Teen Court (acting as prosecuting attorney)
• Toastmasters (youth leadership/public speaking group)
• W.W.Y.D. Founder (This is something David has come up with for his fellow classmates at BJU. Every morning, before school starts, he posts a blog on his school blogroll asking all the kids a "what would you do" question. An example would be, "Suppose a bear snatched you up and took you to his cave-like abode, and upon arrival he asks you if you would like to dine on "tea and crumpets" with him? Then the kiddos all have the chance to comment on the post. He started this a couple of weeks ago and got about 10 comments per post, but now, it is very popular and BUNCHES of kids comment and cannot wait for his daily question! I think it's kind of neat, I would have never thought about doing something like that. The blog is just supposed to be a social networking device and kids mostly just use it like a "supervised" chat room...leave it to my kid! Secretly, I get excited to see what the next question is too...will not tell him that, though! His head doesn't need to be inflated to that extreme!! :)
• He really wants to try fencing and take a pottery class. I did find out from a friend that "Kana"has fencing lessons... so we will see about that!
• Working on finding some sort of volunteering programs for teens, but this will probably be done through 4-H.
• Music Lessons

Braydon:

• Shooting Sports (4-H)
• Nature Seekers (4-H)
• Tennis Lessons
• Soccer
• T-Ball in the Spring
• Junior Bible Quiz
• He really would like to do Karate....but Chris and I are still debating on making him a weapon as of right now! :)

School Subjects This Year.

David is in 9th grade this year and we are studying/doing the following:

• Biology
• Geometry
• World Geography
• Spanish
• English/Literature
• Keyboarding
• Bible
• Building a Power House (Experiment that uses renewable energy resources, ie; solar, wind, electrochemical, and plant energy.) In this house we will be building a solar oven, a water distillation plant, a wind powered generator, a refrigerator, and an air conditioner to name a few! We are VERY excited to start this project this next semester!
• Since David is really into mechanical/robotic engineering, we are also going to be building some robots and programming them to do specific tasks!! FUN!

There are several other things we are going to plan on this year as well...will keep you in the "know"!

Braydon is doing Kindergarten/1st Grade this year and we are working on the following:

• Science (Mostly learning about some different bugs/animals and their habitats...some experiments for him as well.) Can you tell I am a science geek?? :)
• Math (Learning time, money, addition, subtraction, estimation, measurements, and mastering counting by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 10s!) He loves Math...YAY!!
• Phonics
• Reading
• Spelling (He has already started to sound out, spell, and write words and sentences on his own and we haven't even discussed it!!) Granted, the words are not even really close to being correct, but I am SO proud of the effort!
• Geography (We are learning about the 50 states...the capital, a fact about each of them, the state flag, and motto.)
• Handwriting
• Bible/Junior Bible Quiz (Competitive-type program with our church that is kind of like Jeopardy...Braydon REALLY likes the buzzers!)

I am going to find some little projects for Braydon as well, just have not pinpointed what they may be yet...thought about getting an incubator and having him hatch some quail eggs...we shall see!!

Fun/Goofy Craft Times In Kindergarten!!

A good time was had by all! Even though I do look a little silly! We laughed a LOT!

Braydon loved looking silly....good times.

It was also very exciting for him to look like his Daddy!


His Daddy Stance.


Mommy, the victim, once again!

We had a really fun first week, with just small hiccups....it gets easier each year! I love spending time with my little men!

First Day Of School!

Today we are making the leap into our school year....yeah!! The boys are very excited and we are looking forward to a great year together. We will have a rather light, easy day today and then ease into the mother load by the end of the week...mwahaha!
This year, I feel more convicted than I ever have about staying at home with my kiddos and educating them to be Godly children....and one day, men!

Gotta go..school is starting...

Another Clip About The Little Tree!

This news clip reveals who the "mystery" tree planter is!!

Check it out:

http://www.wthr.com/Global/category.asp?C=136236&clipId=5061238&topVideoCatNo=103348&autoStart=true

The A/C Has Been Repaired!!

I am so grateful that the overheated house is no longer...

It's Official.

Last weekend David was officially certified in CPR/First Aid training through our local 4-H Teen Leaders. He had a great time and was given his certification card, pair of gloves, and a mouthpiece. He carries it around with him just in case. I am very proud of him for his accomplishment. Good job David!

My Little Reader!

Braydon is doing so fabulous with his reading skills! This morning he sat on my bed and read a book all by himself for the first time!! I told him it was time to read for school and he picked up his book and did his own little thing! Usually, he will sit next to me or on my lap and we will do it together. He was Mr. Independent today! How exciting! Reading is still not his favorite thing to do, but I think eventually he will really enjoy it. I will have to say; however, the Sonlight Kindergarten readers are very enjoyable and funny for kids to start out with! A lot better than Dick and Jane or See Spot Run like we started out with.

I am a proud Mommy! We are almost done with all kindergarten basics....we are still working on counting money...but I suppose he will not be making any big purchases at the ripe ol' age of five. Now my quandary....do we do first grade this year or official kindergarten....or a mixture of both?? Gotta put some thought and prayer into this one!!

Garage Sale Time Of Year.

I have a garage sale every year around this time and I vowed that last year would be the last one, but I find myself planning another.....hurumph! I was just going to donate everything that I had, but when the bags of things kept multiplying, I figured I should probably go ahead and do it. There was also a strong spousal influence!

So, here I go...plan, gather, plan, gather. Hopefully, we will make quite a bit of money....we usually do! I have averaged the past few years about $700 per garage sale...not too shabby!

My tips for a great garage sale:

• Have your clothes folded and organized. People don't want to look through piles to find things...they won't usually! They will just see what is on top. If you don't like to fold things, or have the table space, make some sort of hanging pole to put things on hangers!
• Start early....the early risers buy a lot! Most of the time it's the grandparents that are out and everyone knows how grandparents love to buy stuff for the kids.
• Put categories of things in same area, ie; kitchen stuff together, toys, tools, games...etc.
• Advertise as much as possible without spending a fortune. I call the local radio, place ads online, and put a $15 ad in the paper. I also place signs up all around town.
• Don't sell things that YOU wouldn't buy because of the condition of the item. If there are clothes that are really stained and look drabby...donate them or make rags for your husband's shop. If I walk up to a garage sale and I see nasty, tattered clothes, I don't even look around at anything else because, already, I am thinking that someone didn't take care of the clothes...so just maybe they didn't take care of anything else??
• Baby stuff (not talking clothes here) ALWAYS sells, even the stuff that doesn't look too pretty, but make sure it's in the best condition/cleaned up as you can get it...it could make HUGE monetary differences!
• Price things correctly. Nobody wants to walk up to a sale and see a pair of jeans for $20! I don't care if they cost $100...it's a garage sale. You put it in the sale because you no longer want it...get rid of it then!! Price it to where someone is feeling they are walking away with a deal, or people will just walk away.
• Along with the pricing....make sure everything HAS a price on it...it is annoying to have to continue to ask, "how much". People are more apt to buy things when they see the price rather than hear it!
• Make sure you note the condition of what you are selling. If something doesn't work, tell the customer! This is not so much important for the current sale you are having, but for repeat business...which is important if you live in a small town like me!!

Hope these tips help! I am off to plan.....

Gluten-Free Pancake Adventure.

Last week I attempted to make some pancakes out of a gluten-free biscuit mix. It was very clear on the back of the bag that it would also double as a pancake/waffle batter...another reason why I bought it!

After making the batter, I could not get the pancakes to cook!! They were burnt on both sides and still gooey batter on the inside. I flattened the pancake on the griddle thinking that maybe it would push the batter out that was not getting cooked...WRONG! The batter still didn't do anything other than remain it's gooey self.

So, I had a wonderful idea...I will put the batter in my waffle iron and then it will definitely cook all the way through?? I poured it into my waffle maker.....and then when the light turned green, I thought to myself, "Yes!!", it cooked through otherwise my indicator light would have stayed red! WRONG!! My waffle iron was cemented shut! It wouldn't open no matter what. My husband and I took it outside and had to pry it open with his tools!

I will never use this biscuit mix again for pancakes....and as far as the waffles go, I won't be making any sort of waffle anytime soon because my waffle iron is kaput!

Just FYI...for you gluten-free families out there...it was Bob's Red Mill biscuit mix....beware! It makes mediocre biscuits, but the pancake batter was no bueno! The actual pancake mix made by this company; however, is my son's favorite!

This Is Just Awesome...Please Take The Time To Watch!

I am proud to say that the "someone" in this news clip is my Dad!!

http://www.fox59.com/videobeta/b3a029c5-9fbd-4f84-9aca-3da9ebbe2a14/News/Southport-tree-replanted-in-honor-of-fallen-heroes

Please....check this out! This is really neato!

This is the note that my Dad attached to the tree...

Please Don't Cut Me Down!

"I am not impeding traffic; I am not blocking anyone's view. There are plenty of eyesores that need to be cut down in this city, but I am not one of them. I am not just a weed. I represent a lot of things-the memory of his mom, son, mother-in-law, father-in-law of the guy who planted me-fallen soldiers and those in service who are sons and daughters of the people who decorate me-a fallen police officer-people fighting illness-hope and a lot of other things too numerous to list.

My sole purpose is to show God's love for you in a practical way. I have big roots to fill...my cousin whom used to be here made over 7400 people smile when they didn't really have much to smile about!

That is a miracle from God!

So before you fire up the chainsaw, remember I have over 7000 friends watching me. Leave me alone and let me do my job!

P.S. Don't forget to smile and say a prayer once in a while! God is watching you too!"

It is just little acts of kindness such as these that make God's world GREAT!! I love this story...

PTL!!

I have been praying for my dear, sweet husband because of all the hours he has been working! He is really tired....and I know the pressures of his "manly" work here at home are piling up on him.
He came straight home from work tonight (didn't stop and have dinner) after working 14+ hours today and went outside to cut the grass. Well, let me just say....PTL! Our neighbor came over with one of those fancy zero turn do-dads and helped my husband finish our yard! Isn't the Lord amazing!! Thank you, thank you, thank you...not only to the Lord, but to the lovely gentlemen who sacrificed his evening to help my man!

Fellow Cruise Mates For Our Upcoming Vacation!

Hubby, Me, Myself, and I...plus the kiddos

Sherry and Doug
Sharon
Jim
Grandpa (Alan)
Aunt and Uncle (Alan and Cheryl)
Cousin and his girlfriend (Alan and Anita)

68 days and counting.....wonder who we will plan our next cruise with??

What Should I Do First?

It is going to be one of those days. Normally, I am very organized (lists pre-made with time allotments), but today I have been up since 5:00 a.m., and do not feel that much has been accomplished! I have really been just walking in circles, not getting anything done, but starting several projects and finding others that need to be done....the workload is piling up! I don't like it when I do this to myself....AHHH! So, I have decided to finish unplanned projects that I have initiated this morning and just strictly stick to my list...not starting anything else today!

OCD, why ya have to be so mean to me some days??

Today is a busy day....! Come on vacation....sixty some days till take-off....then somebody else can cook for me and clean my room....haha!

Another VBS And A Busy, But Sad Week!

We are doing our last VBS of the year. This is our third one and Braydon is loving them all! The first two were themed "High Seas Adventure" and this one is themed "Rainforest".

Busy week this week for us!

Tonight: Teen Court.
Tomorrow: VBS, Friends going away party,Dentist appts, David's friend's bday party.
Wednesday: VBS, visit with friends...hard telling what else!
Thursday: 4H Day, VBS.
Friday: VBS only thus far....still early in the week/maybe VBS program??
Saturday: Pick up Andrew!
Sunday: Our good friends will be moving away....very sad to see them go.

Had a great day at church yesterday. We were blessed by helping a young girl financially so she was able to go on a missions trip! I love to see young ones serving the Lord and it just feels so good to help them along the way! Thank you Jesus!

It's Done.

I have finished opening our YouTube account! So just click the link that says Smith Family Theatre and you can view our movies. I have quite a few to add to the group, so I will be adding only a couple of them daily because of the amount of time it takes to upload them! So check in every couple of days to see more of the infamous Smith adventures!!

Enjoy...

You Tube.

I said that I would never get a YouTube account, but I have reconsidered. I am going to set one up so my friends/family can keep an "eye" on us. Flickr, Shutterfly, and the blog do not allow me to upload more than a two minute video without paying or some sites I am just not allowed to upload the size of the file! So...stay tuned! I will put a link on the side of my blog when it is completed...some of the movies are quite comical!

It's Hot!

Why, oh why, July heat do you have to hate me sooo much?? The pool's chemicals have been off for a while....spending the cash today to get it chemically balanced!

Gonna take the Nestea Plunge later on today! Ahhhh....hope it is as refreshing as it looked in the old commercials!

Television Go Bye-Bye!

Well, we have made the transition! The cable is completely gone. We went from thousands of television channels to extended cable (hundred or so channels) to basic channels (abc, cbs, nbc, pbs, etc.) to now....nothing! I don't really miss it other than the pbs channel for the little one. We have just found other things to do.

We do; however, subscribe to netflix for less than ten dollars a month and have a huge selection of t.v. shows and movies to pick from. This is really a neat option that the entire family enjoys. When we feel like watching the television, it is like having a movie store in your family room....search for something you like, select it, and voila!...you're watching it!

The kiddos are allowed to pick one program per day that they want to see and also are allowed to watch a show with Daddy if he turns the television on in the evening after work. They really love all of the options and I really love the cheap ticket price!!

Don't Leave Me Here....Part Deux.

This week Braydon is going to another vacation bible school. He has so much fun at these! Last night David and I went to Teen Court in Texarkana, so Daddy had to drop Braydon off. Braydon is normally a child that will run out of the car into a building and forget to tell you good-bye....not last night! Chris said that he cried, held onto his leg refusing to let go, and just had absolutely no desire to stay. Chris was finally able to leave and Braydon had a wonderful time with everyone. First thing this morning he was ready to go back!

He has done this at some other places lately....hmmmm. He was really Mommy's boy when he was about two, but when he grew out of that.....he had NO fear of leaving Mom behind!

At the ripe old age of five he is having another bout of separation anxiety!!??!! Seems so strange for his personality, but I suppose that is just the way it goes sometimes....we can never predict what our kiddos are going to do, can we??

Happy 10th Birthday, Andrew!

I cannot believe you are 10! Just seems like time goes so quickly! You take on so many different identities....king one day......then.....


a BALD wild man the next! This is what you wanted for your birthday.....a big bald head! You are a kid that isn't afraid of standing out! That's another reason we love ya'. Don't change!


Cheeeese! You're a great kiddo and I love the way you make us all smile. I hope you have a really great birthday and that you remember to put sunscreen all over your newly exposed head...haha!


Happy Birthday....love ya,
Mom.

My Nightmare!

We ate at Chili's a couple of nights before we were to leave Indiana. I had one of my favorites, chicken fajitas! We had an enjoyable time and then much later in the middle of the night.....something happened....an abnormal rumbling in my belly. To spare all of the "lovely" details, I will just say that I became one, sick gal.

It was time to come home on Sunday, and let me just say...that was the single most maddening event of my life. Almost fifteen hours of jostling around in the truck and feeling like an accident could possibly happen at any moment...it was not the best of times. I prayed the entire way home, "Lord, just let me get home, and then, together, we can handle the rest." Well, that is exactly what He did for me. As soon as we hit the driveway to our home, I ran into the house...after hurdling past the poor sleeping children in the second row.

Once in the house, I made it to the back of the house where my bathroom and bedroom awaited me and that is the ONLY part of the house that I saw for the rest of the night.
At about 3:30 a.m., I called for Chris from the facilities by compiling all of the energy I could to slightly tap on the wall and produce my, what it seemed as, whispering yell....he came, he heard me, Thank you, God! I was dehydrated from all of the "fluid expulsion" from the past fifty some hours...I was sick! The sweat was pouring out of every inch of my body, I was blacking out and I didn't think I was going to make it. In fact, I told Chris that I didn't think I was going to make it and shared my concerns that I wasn't going to be able to say good-bye to the children. My chest hurt, my blood pressure felt like it was bottoming out, I was having a hard time breathing, and I didn't know whether to sit on the throne or to hover over it! The pain was worse than anything I had ever experienced. I was scared and told my hubby that I needed to go to the E.R. He knew that I was serious after these moments. He placed a wet cloth on the back of my neck and it gave me the shivers, so I decided to lay down and cover up.

I don't know if I blacked out or just fell asleep, but when I woke up, we went straight to the hospital after Chris dropped the kids off at a dear friend's house that agreed to help us without as much as a flinch! Thank you, Lord, for such great friends that we are blessed with.
Chris said in the waiting room at the E.R. that I was diving in and out of consciousness...I don't really remember. When they rolled me back to be seen, my blood pressure couldn't be found, it was so low. They immediately started pushing fluids through an I.V.

The blood tests came back positive for campylobacter, which is food poisoning. They admitted me and I stayed overnight with a bolus of fluid as my dinner. I was starting to feel alive again!
I am home now and feel immensely better, still do not have all of my energy back, but I will take what I can get. I am just thankful that we made it to the hospital when we did. God is good and He was with me and my family through this entire catastrophe!

My hubby says pretty soon I will be back to my old sassy self! haha
Thanks to all that helped us out, prayed for me, called, and visited me in the hospital.....! Love you all!

Conversation At Dinner Tonight.

David is thinking that he may want to buy a wedding ring (when the time is right, of course) from Wal-Mart so he is able to tell if his lady really loves him. We discuss this for a moment and here comes the funny:

Andrew: "Hey David....at your wedding I can be the ring burier!"

We all had a great laugh, including Andrew!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa Jim! We are sooooo excited to go on the cruise with ya later in the year! Have a wonderful day and see you next week!

Love ya....the Smith Gang!

Tragic.

.........praying for all the families that have been affected by the flooding this morning.

Que Sera Sera.

I went to our local KFC/Taco Bell the other night to buy some tacos for the kiddos. I placed my order and then the drive-thru operator told me that they were no longer a Taco Bell, just a KFC! WHAT?? There are not that many dining options in this little town and now they are downsizing?? That makes perfect sense to me. They discontinued serving last week and they had taken the sign down that day.

I heard that Taco Bell had requested the owner of that franchise to broaden the Taco Bell menu and he/she declined, so they lost the contract! Way to go, owner! I don't even know if anybody even goes to KFC...it's so gross! I guess we will see if it stays open or not??

Goodbye, my weight watching bean burritos....you will be missed.

I said thank you, rolled up my window, and drove away bamboozled.....

The Next Day...Or Three!

Okay, David, I know that I said I was going to continue your birthday wishes the next day, but ol' Mom just became a little too occupied with other things...like you! Haha...j/k.

Just wanted to say that you are a great kid and I love you very much. You are the eldest of the Smith clan so with that comes some ups and downs as I am sure you have discovered! Hopefully, the good outweigh the bad!

You will be the first to drive, but probably will have the most rigid curfew, I don't know! They say parents become more flexible after each kid....I suppose we will see. You don't have to wear any hand-me-downs from your little brothers, you leave for college first, and you get to stay up the latest! You will; however, lose your bedroom at the house first (haha, I mean, Mom's scrapbooking/sewing room), be used as a free babysitter at some points, have had all the newly learned parenting techniques (some good, some not so good) experiemented on you, and be held at different/higher standards than the younger kids. With all this said, I still think you like your ranking status!

I treasure all my years with you and look forward to what God has in store for us in the future! Thank you for being the loving, sensitive, sweet boy (I mean young man) that you are and never lose sight of the big picture. I know you have to deal with a lot of things that a lot of people do not, but there are also a lot of things that you DON'T have to deal with that a lot of people do! I know that it is hard to remember that some times, but I have NO doubt that you are going to do amazing things because God made you exactly the way He wanted you to be. With that said, I wouldn't want you to be ANY different than you are!

I love you,
Mom

Happy Birthday Kiddo!

Today is David's fourteenth birthday!

Here you are at just four months old!

Happy birthday...hope you had a great day. I love you.....will write more tomorrow. Mom is tired after today's multiple events (all fun events, though).

May 31, 2010

Happy Birthday to my wonderful, loving husband! Hope you had a great weekend of fun! Back to work tomorrow...haha! I love you!

Just Cannot Believe It!!

Yesterday, Braydon was pretending that he was typing on David's laptop (the one that no longer is in use). All of a sudden David decided to put the battery pack onto the computer just to see what would happen. We never attempted to start up the computer after getting it back from Toshiba since they said they were not able to help us out. So he popped in the battery and, voila...the bios password had been removed! Somebody at Toshiba must have felt sorry for us and repaired it! Yeah! David was soooooo excited that he didn't even know what to say or do.

I will leave you with his quote, which made me laugh....big time!

"Oh....Mom, I am just in a moment of extreme splendor!"

What a kid! I wouldn't have him any other way....

Today's Lunch Prayer.

Soooo cute....Braydon's little prayer today at lunch was so simple and pure. I just had to share it!

"Dear Jesus, Thank you for this day and bless this food to our body. Thank you for all you have given me even though I am sassy sometimes. Help us to have a safe day and please help Mommy have a good day so that I can play my new game tonight and thanks for letting Pepa return my phone call so quickly....in Jesus Name, Amen."

Afterwards I told him how much I really enjoyed listening to him pray like a big boy and he says to me, "Oh yea, well wait 'til dinner....you're gonna go crazy for that one!"

Always the comedian!

Please pray with your children daily...it is the best weapon you can arm them with! Parental protection CANNOT do it all!

Reading Advancements!

It is so exciting to see your little one start to read! Braydon is getting much better daily and he is starting to try and read things other than just school stuff!

When we were out yesterday, he read, "meat", "fresh", and "truck"....all without prompting from us! We haven't even studied words like that yet!! Way to go, buddy! In the store, he did try to take on "rotisserie", bless his heart, but was not quite as successful. It was a great try though! It took a lot of courage to try a big word like that, so we told him that he should keep trying those big words and he assured us that he would!

I was really nervous about teaching Braydon to read, but it really hasn't been that bad. I think it was just knowing that it is such an important part of school and I am solely responsible for him learning it....kinda scared me! I didn't have to teach David to read.....he was hyperlexic, so I had no previous experience! We are making it though! Woo Hoo.

Good job, Braydon....keep it up!

School Year Coming To An End!!

It's here! The end of the school year.....YES! I don't know who is happier, the kids or me!

We had a great time last week at a nearby amusement park for an end of the year bash. The eldest of the children has become quite the dare-devil with the LARGE roller coasters! I hung around most of the day in the kiddie section with the five year old, we had a lot of fun together as well. (I will have to admit that I wanted to ride some big ones too!...but that's ok) He wanted to ride the only roller coaster he was big enough for, but when we finally made it there, they had closed it for some reason! He was a little bummed, but we had some dippin dots and it made it all better...ha! He wanted to ride the enormous coasters as well, but the height restrictions stopped him....he has NO fear at five....what am I in for???

I think we should be done with school by next Friday, the fourth (David's birthday...big 14).

On the menu for tonight: Teen Court, Talent Show/Awards Ceremony, and a Pitch In.
Tomorrow: Braydon's last T-ball game of the season and NO DRIVING far away!! YAY!

Come on summer.....

Updates...

Just a catch up on some Smith happenings as of late:

• Went to home school convention this past weekend and we are still stuck deciding on Abeka Academy Online or Bob Jones University, both very strong programs! Giving that one to the Lord!
• Vehicles broke down, bought a new one....51 mpg! Woohoo!
• Trying to get accepted into an Aspergers neurology program in Dallas.
• I haven't beaten my husband anymore in his sleep.....as of yet.
• Finishing touches for end of school stuff.
• T-ball.
• Newly gluten free child...with improvements!
• Anxiously waiting for upcoming vacation in October.
• Travelling to Indiana to see family in a few weeks.
• Husband's b-day is very soon!
• Pool is ready, waiting for opportunity to jump in!
• Braydon is reading better and better each day.
• David is finishing up Algebra, Science, History and Spelling in the next couple weeks. He is finished with Health, Spanish, Grammar, Poetry and Literature for the year. He has read 40 books (just for school). That doesn't count the books he reads on his own...who knows what that count may be???? Since there is not very much curriculum left for the year, the school days get shorter and shorter...it is soooo nice! I am so proud of his academic advancements this year!
• David is currently memorizing the Gettysburg Address.
• Braydon is currently memorizing the 4-H pledge.
• Attended the Spring Sing for David's Teen Formal a couple of weeks ago....so fun!
• Busy, Busy, Busy.
• Visited Pediatric GI for David, and all things looked fine...meds for six more months and then we are going to back off meds to see if condition was caused from the irritation in belly by the peptic ulcers. Praying this is so, chronic reflux is not the most fun for kiddos!
• It's hot here!

It has been a crazy few weeks! We have made it through with the help of prayer and faith. Thanks to all that was praying for us!

"Momma's Gonna Knock You Out". Ha!

I woke myself up the other night beating up my man! What in the world?? I asked him the next day if he knew that I was hitting him and he had no idea. He is a very deep sleeper. Thank goodness for that.

So, early this morning...about 4:30ish... I struck again....this time the husband was not in such a deep sleep and he was awakened with my slapping. He told me about it later in the morning since this time it did not wake me up. My poor husband, not only does he have to deal with the everyday goings on of my gooberness, but now he has to go to bed with his dukes up!

The five year old told him he could borrow his Armor of God suit.....he just may need it.

Shock!

Shock!
Originally uploaded by mommydesmith

This was the priceless look that was upon David's face when the grandparents were at the back door. We were able to keep this visit a complete surprise to the kids. They are all having fun together.

Surprise Visitors, Sickness, A Pedicure, And Pippi Longstocking.

Today we are delighted to have some surprise "travelers" stop by and stay with us for a bit! The kiddos are going to be ecstatic! I hope I am able to capture it with my camera. The surprise: Some of the grandparents from our native state!! How fun!

Hubby has been really sick last few days, but was able to hack his way back to work today, much to my dismay. I hope he doesn't make anybody sick! I suppose he probably isn't contagious anymore, since he has been on meds the last 48 hours.

First pedicure of the season yesterday....WOOHOO! Boy, did my feet need it! When your bean counting husband tells you that it is time to spend money on your feet you know it's time!!

Braydon's new fun song is the Pippi Longstocking theme. He loves to sing it and he constantly makes me sing it to him. I use a little kid's voice and he says that I sound just like the kid singing it, so I cannot count how many times it is requested in a day's time. It really does put a big smile on his face, though! As long as he doesn't start requesting it in public.....

Gotta scoot, MUCH to do before company arrives.....starting with my walk!

Standardized Testing.

Today we have standardized testing for our homeschool group. We are required to test children grades three through nine in this state as one of the homeschooling guidelines. I am all for standardized testing that challenges the mind and establishes how far one's mind can go. Too bad our test is NOT like that! This particular one is a basic skills test and is not even at the child's current grade level, but it is something that we are required to take....so we do it!

When we moved here a few years ago, as always, I was excited to get the results from this "enormously discussed testing", but I am not so sure the testing gives an accurate evaluation. Actually, I would have to say that I am pretty positive. David, last year (7th grade), scored something ridiculous like 15th or 16th grade level on Reading and Math. Now, I know that the boy is intellectual, but COME ON! I want to know how a Math test that doesn't work past fractions could determine such results for a seventh grader?? I would truthfully like to see what grade level he is working at! SAT/ACT's will be coming soon enough, I suppose.

HAPPY EASTER!!

Today and everyday.....remember what Jesus did for us on that cross!

Just Had To Blog This Shot!

Ewwwwww.
Originally uploaded by mommydesmith

Normally, I just post my pictures to Shutterfly and Flickr, but this shot was just too funny for the folks that do not check out my pics!

What a face!!
Have a laughable, fun day!

Kaput!

This is a tragic story about a Toshiba laptop!

David saves his money for years! For his thirteenth birthday, he asked only for money to put towards the purchase of a laptop. He gets his laptop....YAY! Not so much....

A few months after having the laptop, the bios password set automatically without any help from us. This means that nobody can access his computer until the code is entered. Well, since we were not the ones that set the password, we had no idea what it would be. I did research online and found out that there were some Toshiba models that were doing this and that it was a defect from the factory. I called, had it repaired, and it was back in our possession. A month later same thing happened....Errrr. I was assured the first time that it would not happen after it was repaired once....but, behold, it did! Anyway, sent it in, it was repaired, and again it was back in our possession.

Now, the end of February the bios password struck again! Out of commission! I called, it stayed, and was not fixed due to a crack in the LCD screen. They informed me that a crack was a non-warranty repair....ooookay, what they did not inform me was that all non-warranty issues had to be fixed prior to warrantied issues...RATS! So, I called (very agitated at this point) and just curiously asked why I wasn't made aware of this situation when I was on the telephone with the representative????? I did get an, "I'm sorry". SO WHAT is what I say....just help me!

After days and days of calling, not getting promised return calls, and the computer just ending up at my front door with no foresight from Toshiba, my fight with them came to an end. I called them today for the last time to see why the computer was here without so much as a phone call from them (as was promised to me). They said they would remove the password after fixing the screen for a whopping $425.00. Thanks a lot Toshiba, I can almost buy a brand new one for that (like I would ever really buy a Toshiba again)!

Poor kid....had the computer for less than a year.......Would anybody like to come to my house and tell my thirteen year-old son with Aspergers that the computer he bought with his money is KAPUT? I know I don't want to..............he will never comprehend this!

Conversation Points This Morning.

Braydon and Mommy:

Braydon: "Mommy, do you think that I will ever be a real super hero? It's just that I am such a little guy right now that I am not sure I will ever have those big muscles and special powers."

Me: (Trying to be as serious as possible) "Well, we will just have to wait and see what happens."

Braydon: "Ok Momma."

David and Myself:

David going into each room of the house for just brief moments, inhaling deeply, thinking for just a bit, and exiting upon completion of ????

Me: "David, may I ask what you are doing, son?"

David: "Yes."

Rrrr.....I then rephrased my question to where he would understand what I wanted back from him.

David: "Well, I am just making sure that I have the odors of the house memorized correctly."

Me: ?????

David: "You see Mom, I know the odor for each room of the house."

He then goes on to state what each room of the house had the odor of. The two that stuck out in my mind were the play room and his bedroom. He said that they just smelled like "normal" (whatever that means) because that is where the majority of his time is spent so that is the aroma he is accustomed to.

David: "You should really do the same, Mom, because if you ever lose your eyesight, you will have no idea what room of the house that you are in. That is why I pay really close attention to the little details of life. If I ever lose my vision, I will know exactly where I am in this world."

Me: "Well, I will keep that in mind buddy."

Just interesting to hear and to think about his concerns/daily routines!

Anniversary This Weekend!

Just a note explaining the blog background!

Our anniversary falls on a Sunday this year, so I suppose we probably will go out to eat after church and browse around the big city. It will not be sans children, which is ok, but maybe we will have a postponed "date" sometime in the near future!

The Battle Begins.

This Spring Break we participated in a silly string war together. It was hilarious! The kiddos were running around acting like maniacs with their aerosol based ammunition. They all were equally covered with string and no winner was declared. This was a really fun, energy using activity that only cost three dollars! Maybe we will have a weekly war! Great exercise.

Mom was running around trying to get silly pictures and was bombed as well....what a blast! Next time I am getting my own can....watch out boys!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you all have a wonderful day....Don't forget to wear green to avoid the dreaded pinching!

We are headed to the big city today for some fun. I am very excited about the kids playing at the park because I hope to catch up on a lot of reading that I am behind on...but ya' know how that goes with kiddos: "Mom, will you push me on the swing, Mom, will you play tag with us, Mom, insert name here is pesting me." We will see how it goes. I guess if I am not able to read, then I will surely burn some calories running around with the herd! I don't mind, though. They are only little so long, right?

Spring Break.

It has been a wonderful spring break for us so far. The weather has been unbelieveable! We have been outside a lot and we are going to Texarkana tomorrow to have some fun with our school group. We are also taking a trip to the big city library which just happens to be connected to a really cool castle play area. We have a fun experiment planned for later in the week involving Newton's third law and explosions (something all of the boys LOVE), and good ol' Traxxas Slash (really cool 30+ mph rc cars) racing with Daddy!

We are all very thankful to be together as a family doing these exciting things!!

Happy Spring Break to all...

Box-Free Report Card.

Eight days in and I have to say that I am doing better than I thought that I would. Thus far I have only cheated a couple of times:

• I was running really behind one day and I fixed the boys some canned soup!!
• I have not stopped making cream of wheat, yes it is from a box, but it's really good for you and I have no idea how I would make it without the box?? I know, I am just making lame excuses!!

Anyway, I have also added a smoothie a day to our regime. I can pack all sorts of things in those drinks that my kids (mainly the small one) will not eat alone....and they have no idea. I am getting a lot of ideas online and coming up with some of my own concoctions. I also put the smoothies in covered, no-see-through, cups so that they cannot see the color!! (Some are not so pleasantly colored!) I can get all kinds of great antioxidants and vitamins in their bellies...YAY!

Can She Do It Ladies and Gentlemen??

For the next thirty days, I am going to attempt to have box-free breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks!! We sort of slid off of the band wagon after Christmas time with our healthy eating habits and didn't get back on it totally. I have been very busy and have been making some "easier" meals lately, and I don't want my kids eating that way on a regular basis. I am thinking this will be a good jump start and then when return to our pre-Christmas semi-homemade cooking, the boys will think that they have "softened" me.

So, just about everything going into my kiddos bellies for at least the next thirty days should be pretty much homemade. I will not be making the condiments; ie., ketchup, mustard, mayo, jelly, peanut butter, etc. That would be a little too much for this momma!

Off we go...

Weird Mole Update.

Dermatologist called:

Mole removed was benign! PTL!

Oh and since I have the aforementioned condition, I am under the order not to leave the house without my special sunblock on....but no worries! I am happy to do it.

I Make Weird Moles??

Monday, I went to the dermatologist to get some moles checked out. The doc ended up taking one of them off of my back to be sent out for "pathological investigation". I will know in five days whether it is some sort of melanoma or just an irregular mole....so I am assuming I will know early next week.

The doc also informed me that I have dysplastic nevi. This means that I make weird moles and will need to be monitored every six months to keep an eye out for "suspicious mole making". Oh joy!

Since the mole that was removed was on the middle of my back, wound care management is a little tricky and really not possible for me to do. Good ol' hubby to the rescue! Thank goodness I have him to help me! I know he just loves doing it....haha!

A Whole Hand!

Today is the fifth birthday of my little guy! As he says, "I am a whole hand now!"

It just amazes me how time passes so quickly and how fast kids grow and learn. We try to learn an "expensive" word every day and it just cracks me up when Braydon will use one in the correct context!

Just a little example:

Setting: Braydon, yesterday at breakfast getting ready to watch another WWII airplane documentary. He says, "Mommy, I am just so excited to have this great compilation of movies on our netflix cube" (sic)....I have been trying to explain to him that it is queue, but he really would prefer "cube" and hey, he used compilation correctly. This momma will take it!

Braydon, I would not trade any of your little stories like this for anything! I love you so very much and I am so thankful that you are in my life every day! I hope your day is full of fun surprises and lots of yummy birthday cake......Mommy

Optical Amazement!

We went to the "kana" yesterday for a couple of errands that needed to be ran. An eye appointment for David was on the itenerary along with a trip to Tarzshay, Target, the fancy way :). Also needed to buy Braydon his new boots, although we didn't quite get to that one.

In the exam room at the eye doc, Braydon was sitting on David's lap and reading the letters on the wall. Well, when the letters were getting smaller in size (keep in mind they weren't really small, they were only a couple lines down from that humongous honkin' E! So, me being the loving, wonderful momma that I am says, "Oh, you stop goofing around and read those letters, those things are huge, I know you can see those!" Anyway, I decided to get his eyes checked just to make sure all was alright.

So they did that fancy refraction machine thingamajig that tells them what's going on.....sure enough, the boy is EXTREMELY far-sighted. Vision was 2o/60 both eyes! Poor buddy! The doc said that a lot of kids are far-sighted and just grow out of it, but Braydon will be in glasses the rest of his life, there was not going to be any growing out of those bad eyes, he said! My baby! He is only four and getting spectacles....hurumph!

We picked out some frames for both of the children and they are being processed by the lab. We will have them next week possibly. During the "picking out" process, the eye drops had taken affect on Braydon and he was zonked out. The techs found a desk chair with wheels and we were wheeling him around the office, picking out frames, having him open his eyes and lift his head for moments at a time to try on the eyewear....what an adventure!

We did find out that David's eyes are medical book material. He is far-sighted in one eye and near-sighted in the other! Weird, huh? He also is classified as having a lazy eye in his left eye. This is not the type that makes the eye wander, so when you look at him you do not have to wonder where he is looking. It is a term dubbed for an eye that will not correct to 20/20. The last doctors were only able to get David to 20/50 and 20/40. This doc was able to get him to 20/30! So we are very excited that he will be able to see the best he has been able to as of yet.

The trip was definitely full of surprises for us. Next trip, I suppose, we will get the boots, oh and pick up the ol' specs!

Contest.

On Monday, David was a contestant in an International Speech Contest for his Toastmaster's group. This was his first speech in front of the adults and his peers. He has given several other speeches, but always in front of his friends/group....so he was just a "tad" nervous. His speech could be on any topic and needed to be from five to seven minutes long. It was also required to wear formal attire (this was really exciting for him). He had it practiced and just about perfected his monologue to about six minutes and a few seconds more. When we arrived, the speaking order was selected by drawing numbers...yep, you guessed it! He drew numero uno!

I thought for his first time, it was an extremely well delivered speech. He only glanced at his index cards a couple of times, his eye contact was exceptional (this is something we work on a lot with Aspergers), and he demonstrated with gestures and it wasn't obvious to anyone that he was nervous (speaking with him later...he stated that he was shaking on the inside).

So the results.....David was disqualified. His speech lasted only four minutes and thirty-some seconds. He never did rush any of his material (his words were all perfectly delivered speed-wise), but he did leave a chunk of his material out.....oops. Oh well, I am very proud of him for getting up in front of all of the adults and his peers. That is not an easy thing to do for a thirteen year-old or a forty year-old.

A first, second, and third place trophy were awarded and David was given his participation certificate. There were other disqualifications as well. The most eloquently delivered speech was given by a kiddo that has been in Toastmasters for five years and is just a fabulous speaker. He deserved first place until he was disqualified for going over time.....oops! That would have been in David's favor, though. If his speech would have lasted just a little longer, I know he would have placed somewhere in the top three, but no worries......he did a great job and I am a very proud mom.

Next speech: March 22nd!

The Love Dare Challenge.

My husband and I are doing The Love Dare book together. This is a forty day challenge that couples do to strengthen their bond by exploring and demonstrating genuine love with one another. I am sure some days this will be easier than others since neither of us is perfect!

I am very excited about starting! It was given to me by my husband for Valentine's Day....what an awesome gift! I am grateful every day that I have such a loving man!

Anybody else take "The Dare" yet? Let me know how it went/how it's going!!


Day number one......

Ahhhh....Sweet Victory, At Last I Have Found You!

Last night it finally happened! I conquered my husband in a game of ping pong. I have beaten him before, but it was only by tie breaking points. It did not feel as invigorating as this. I won by six, count them, six points. Go me! Needless to say, he was not as excited as I.

As the ol' Smith gang says, "I smoked his ham." Oh yeah!

Cost of a new pair of shoes: $50.00
Approximate cost of a kids first year in college: $10,000
The look on my husband's face when his ham had been smoked: PRICELESS :)

Final score (21-15).
And it's going to be a wonderful day.......

Seminar.....Interrupted!

This past weekend Chris and I were going to attend a Laugh Your Way marriage seminar. It was offered in Texarkana at the Church On the Rock. They were going to provide day care which is a huge perk for us. We were very stoked on the idea of going to a comedy based marriage seminar because we are both big goofballs! Anyway....plans changed due to illness within the family. Oh well, maybe next time. Maybe we will get the DVDs online and check it out anyway? I have heard that it is a great viewing experience and well worth the time and money. Check it out at http://www.laughyourway.com/. It is a program for all marriages and just a fun time for couples to learn something about his/her partner and laugh a little.....sound like fun?

It Has Been A Crazy Two Weeks.

Braydon woke up last Tuesday morning complaining that he was "not well". He hit the nail on the head with that comment. My last couple weeks I have been on snotty kleenex duty and because of his sore throat, have been summoned with the call of a laser gun! Gotta love it. No sleep was in store for this mama the first five nights...collectively, I think, there was about six hours of "nite nite" during that time. What an adventure...for all of us.

In our recuperation period, there was a medicinal river flowing through our house. From the anti-pyretic waterfalls to the anti-histamine lagoon, it was a "treat the symptom" kind of time. I think that the course of a cold virus is just so ridiculous! First you try to dry up the snot with the anti-histamine/decongestant so the cough will be quieted. Then the cough develops a little more and you medicate with the suppressants so the kiddo is able to sleep through the night. Finally you use the expectorant to MAKE them cough and purge all unwanted "goo" from the chest. What a vicious cycle! BLAH!

On Sunday morning, David woke up "not well"....hurumph! He had some sort of Braydon's virus, just mutated slightly into a lesser evil. Chris and I developed a little "yuk", but nothing like the kiddos. We are all on the mend now and ready to get out of the house!

The one time it does snow and stick to the ground down here, we were not able to play in it! Oh well! We are just thankful that everyone is better and a doctor visit was not required!

It Snowed Here!

I cannot believe it! It actually snowed here and it stuck to the ground for about twelve hours. The boys were very excited. Since it was an overnight snow, they were not able to play in it all that much....just a couple of snowballs were thrown on the way back from a Junk-Mart adventure.

I, unfortunately, needed to do my bi-weekly grocery shopping on the day of the forecasted snow. It was a packed grocery store...people down here panic when they hear about any sign of snow or ice and buy out almost all necessary staples in town.....needless to say I will be making another grocery trip later this week due to lack of inventory.

Confessions of a Mom With an Aspergerized Teenager!

The last few days the cat has been trapped behind the washer mewing helplessly until somebody pulls the washer out and releases him. We have had this cat almost an entire year and it has never displayed any desire to take a leap behind the washer into the deep dark abyss. Suddenly the temptation has heightened....so it seems.

Funny thing, though, the cat is never trapped in this condition when the eldest boy is not present. The eldest boy may even be caught "rescuing" the cat on occasion......things that make you go hmmmmm.

When questioned, of course, this was an absurd idea that I had conjured up. It really amazes me how somebody can twist something around so flawlessly almost making you think you really are crazy. It astonishes me daily.

Mysteriously, the cat's intrigue with washer diving has suddenly vanished. I suppose the fiasco is not as fun when, "the cat is out of the bag"...that was bad, I know!

From the journal of an exasperated parent of an aspy!

and the journey continues............along with the continuous prayers for understanding, wisdom, and patience....

I Have a Blog.....? Oops!

So, it's been a crazy past few months! Here is a brief capture of our goings on:

• Traveled to Indiana for Thanksgiving, where both children decided to become ill....still were able to have some fun, but missed out on seeing some family due to illness.
• School.
• Braydon read his first book.
• More school.
• Saw a civil war battle reenactment in Historic Washington....cool!
• School, school, school.
• Went on a cheap and terribly unstable cruise ship....Carnival Fantasy (never book it)!!! See previous blog for more info.
• Chris went on some business trips.
• School.
• Toastmasters.
• David had a colonoscopy and EGD....found out he has bad reflux, two gastric ulcers, and is in the high risk category for developing celiac disease, but tested negative for it right now....PTL!
• Family in for the holidays...good times.
• Planning a four generation family vacation for 2010.
• Planning 5th birthday party for Braydon. 5?? Really?
• Fargo developed pacreatitis...ridiculous dog.....he is fixed now.
• Fargo's allergies are in full bloom right now....on benadryl around the clock...again I say, ridiculous dog!
• Husband bought me a pod of I.....fun.
• Streaming videos online from Netflix....cool and cheap! My favorites!
• Root canal and crown for my poor husband...cleanings for the boys.
• Ping pong tournaments.
• Soccer came to an end.
• School.
• Suspension parts broke on the front of the truck....thank you extended warranty!
• Growing children.....David wears a size 10 in men's shoes, and a 16 SLIM in pants!

I cannot remember everything that has happened, but that is a pretty decent summary. Just busy and on the go......is there any other way?