The power of housewife word of mouth

Yet Another Awkward Holiday Item

2011-11-17T20:00:00.000-06:00

I can appreciate the concept of having Jesus in your heart and it will help eliminate some of life's costly mistakes. That being said, I do not want to literally use baby Jesus to erase any mistakes I make on paper. It just seems to me that there are much better ways to represent the blessed event of Christ's birth then this tragic eraser nativity set that I came across in a Christian catalog (on the front cover no less).

These little erasers are also puzzles, which has me wondering, do their heads come off? That seems a little sadistic if this is the case. Not only can I erase with Joseph, but I can also make him headless! I can see me going through Becca's pencil bag and finding half a shepherd, or Mary leftover from a year of math work. How on earth does the true meaning of Christmas get expressed through these? Does anyone else find this a touch sacrilegious?

November 17: World Prematurity Day

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

As much as I wish that time hasn't flown by so much that come this Sunday I will be the proud parent of a sixteen year old; I am extremely happy to be living in this time in history for the medical breakthroughs that have allowed Regan to be with us this day. As many of you long time blog readers, family, and friends know she was born a 24 week preemie. With today's medical breakthroughs and technology she was able to breathe, survive and even thrive to be the stubborn and adorable teenager she is today.
This is why it is so important for me to jump on the bandwagon on World Prematurity Day to help bring to light some very important medical issues that preemies are particularly susceptible to.

Manyparents of preterm infants are unprepared for the special medical care preemiesoften require. According to a March of Dimes survey, this is because mostexpecting parents don’t discuss preterm birth with their doctor during prenatalcare, even if they are at high risk. On November 17 - World Prematurity Day -we’re hoping to help change this.

The main cause of concern for preemies is contracting RSV (respiratorysyncytial virus), which in full term newborns is most often like a common cold because their immune systems are better developed, but in preemies can lead to severe sickness and even hospitalization.
I am happy to team up with MedImmune to bring you awareness of RSV and of how precious the health of a preemie can be. Here are a few facts to bring to light the seriousness of this issue.

RSVQuick Facts:

RSV is theleading cause of infant hospitalization, responsible for more than 125,000hospitalizations and up to 500 infant deaths each year.
RSV occurs inepidemics each fall through spring. The CDC has defined “RSV season” asbeginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of NorthAmerica.
Certain regionshave longer RSV seasons than others, with the season beginning as early as July(e.g., Florida) or ending in April.
Despiteits prevalence, one-third of mothers have never heard of RSV.

So How do you protect your child from the evil RSV? The answer is really simple WASH YOUR HANDS PEOPLE!!!! Seriously, that is the main thing that spreads RSV, is hands and germs. So the solution to safely protecting your preemie through the dreaded winter germy filled months is lots and lots of hand washing from everyone who comes into contact with your baby.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Algebra...Ready or Not?

2011-09-27T12:25:00.000-05:00

Rebecca is at that age in school where you start questioning your preparedness for high school and down the road college. 8th grade at her junior high is the pivotal point where you can begin to see if you are qualified to take some of the higher level courses that will be offered. We are making our big leap into Algebra as the first course she will be able to attempt. She has started off her first six weeks with some major trepidation.
The first day of school she came home intent on dropping out of the class right away. I told her that she was naturally gifted in math and just to give herself and her teacher a chance. Several weeks have passed and she enjoys the class, although she will be he first to admit it is tough, and you should have a really good grasp on basic math before you take on Algebra.

According to Sylvan: "A critical gateway subject, algebra is the foundation for higher-level mathematics and science courses in high-school, which in turn can open doors for college and lead to better careers and lifetime earning potential

This is why I was happy to partner with Sylvan Learning center and see for ourselves how ready Rebecca was in fact for Algebra. at Sylvan online there is the FIT 4 Algebra preparedness test with several questions that you can see for yourself if your child is on the right path to prepping for higher level math. Rebecca took the test in about a 1/2 hour, and you can see for yourself how well she did from this screenshot.

Of Course we were thrilled with the results, and Sylvan's Fit 4 Algebra just confirmed what I thought about her math skills, but what she herself did not have confidence about. No one knows our children better than their parents, and we may sometimes see the potential where they may not. I would highly recommend other parents test their child to see the potential, or at least identify where weakness might lie to work on and emphasize. As for us...we are ready to take on Algebra!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sylvan Learning and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

FyrFlyz...the YoYo has finally evolved

2011-09-26T16:28:00.000-05:00

My house is living proof that you are never to old for toys. A few days ago we got this package from FyrFlyz at our house. We could not wait for the night to come to go out in the back yard to play. Now it took us a few minuted to get the hang of it, but this is the result of Becca having a ball with her FireFlyz.
The whole concept is kind of like playing with a yo-yo but on a whole new and improved level. There are all kinds of advanced level tricks that you can do once you have mastered the basics. Speaking, of here is the simple three step process to getting started.

The first step to mastering the FyrFlyz is to grab the two handles and spin the toy in large loops so that the string gets twisted.
Then pull the handles tight and the FyrFlyz will spin like crazy.
As it spins if you bring the handles close together and continue to spin it you camn make all kinds of cool tricks.

We have managed to figure out a few of the tricks, and have really enjoyed playing with it on the backporch in the evenings. I am excited that we have our hands already on one of the potentially hottest toys of the new holiday season, and you can get one too!. Right now FyrFlyz are available for purchase at ToysRUs and at Amazon.com. Try and see for yourself how you can light up the night with this newest addiction.

Disclaimer: The reviewer has been given a sample in order to properly report about the product in question, thanks to FyrFlyz and Mo Select. The opinions though are strictly that of the reviewer with no influence from either company.

The Curse of the Glasses

2011-09-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

Glasses for Regan are a necessity of life in our house, and it has truly been both a blessing and a curse. The blessing of course would be that things are much clearer for her with them on, especially in her left eye which is the worse of the two. The curse being that Regan is the only one in our house who wears glasses, and so sometimes if she doesn't remember them, then chances are that no one else will either. To make matters worse since we sometimes give her time off of them like in the summer or weekends, and then when we really need them for church or school it is almost luck when we see them lying on a table as we leave the house or find them at all.

The downside for all of this is the we could use back-up pairs, but with the prescription changing minutely every year, she really can not use any of her older glasses. There has been the odd tragic school day when she resorted to a magnifying glass, and I felt like a horrible mother as a result. So a realistic and reasonably priced result needed to be found.

There is a great solution at Glasses.com a brand new site by the makers of 1-800-Contacts. They have a huge selection of eyeglass frames for women and the site is easy to navigate. I love that you can upload a picture of yourself and try all the styles on your own face. Regan and I spent a long time figuring out what color and shape she would like best and trying them all on her picture. We know she looks best in rectangular or oval shapes with thin frames, and that is the beauty of the virtual try-on because you can see for yourself on your own face. I also liked that they have free shipping and free returns, so if it doesn't work just send it right back at no additional charge. It is nice to be equipped with a back-up plan, and no more magnifying glass!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by Glasses.com for which the writer was compensated.

Is there a Febreeze Support Group?

2011-09-20T12:28:00.002-05:00

To say that my family has a Febreeze obsession is probably putting it mildly. It is strange how much that brand has become an intricate part of our lives. I have two bottles at all times, one in my house and one in my car because I can't stand smells in my car. Rebecca on the other hand has her own personal bottle, a room spray and her two bedroom Set & Refresh fresheners so she is probably more in need of a support group than I am. She even travels with her her room spray to youth camp this summer and insisted on spraying down our cabin at least once a day so that it would have the smell that she has come to love. The funny thing is the other day when we were shopping she wanted to buy yet another bottle, and I told her it wasn't necessary, and then she said she would spend her own babysitting money because she really wanted a particular scent that she claims smells like Skittles candy. The child really cracks me up!
The point of Febreeze in Rebecca's room is actually a necessary item. Right now she has volleyball practice at least four mornings a week with Games on monday afternoons. She has school cheer practice about twice a week with football games on Thursday evenings. She has competitive cheer on Sunday afternoons and a tumbling class Tuesday evenings. To put it mildly the child is a sweaty energy machine, and by the time I remove all the dirty clothes from the floor....it has still permeated the room. Febreeze not only spares our noses, but also helps her sleep at night without any offending oders. It fits perfectly on the nightstand without being obvious and since it suits her typical chaotic teen room decor. It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and scream...I am an air freshener!

To prove my point, here is a picture of her nightstand and you will notice not one Set & Refresh by Febreeze, but two. The one closest to her bed on the left is the scent linen and sky, and then if you look to the right you will see her Hawaiian Aloha scent that she liked this summer. I asked her why she still had the orange one out on her nightstand and she replied that she just liked the color (orange is one of her favorites). But, since the Set & Refresh come with convenient refills I can assure you she will be adding no more colors to her collection just different scents.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Febreze and received a Set & Refresh unit plus refills to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Those Crazy Kids at Church

2011-09-15T18:19:00.000-05:00

The Wednesday children's program at our church decided to update their rules for the kids attending. The youth and several young adults thought it would be fun to make a rules video by showing what would happen if those rules are broken. I should warn you not to drink while watching this video or you could spit water out all over your keyboard ( not that I did that....really).
I also need to add the disclaimer..the scene where it shows that you need to treat your Bible with respect...a real Bible was not used in this scene (of course out of respect).
Enjoy!

Twins

2011-09-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

Authored by Rickey Combs

My twins turned fourteen last April. I have decided to go back to work. I know the kids are in high school, but I still have reservations about leaving them home alone this summer. I hope that I have raised them right and that they won’t be throwing any wild parties while their dad and I are away at the office. I also went to TOTALALARMSYSTEMS.com to check into getting a home alarm system. I would feel much more comfortable if I had an alarm system that I could set when I went to work in the morning. Being teenagers, the twins sleep in really late and I would feel much better about leaving them if I new that there was an alarm system connected to emergency services. Sometimes its hard to let your babies grow up! I try to remind myself that they are responsible and have never been in trouble. Also, only one hundred and fifty years ago, fourteen year olds had families of their own. They are excited about being home alone this summer. I just hope they remember the rules!

How Facebook became my Vital News Source

2011-09-07T13:11:00.004-05:00

   On Sunday night I was at church with the girls happily involved in videoing the new rules for the children's ministry program we call Team Kids, when I received an unexpected text from John Mark. There were uncontrollable fires in his parents subdivision in Bastrop, Texas and they had just been evacuated. Armed only with my trusty iphone I immediately checked my news apps....and found nothing. I then turned to the Bing Search engine app, and found a little bit of news through the Austin news station, but not what I was looking for. All information I received came to me from my sister in Austin via text messages or John Mark with news about his parents.
   As Regan and I left the church for the evening (Rebecca was staying the night there to continue taping) I tuned in to my favorite AM news stations, and found the typical evening talk radio political programs. Didn't Anyone realize there was a wildfire raging through central Texas? There was plenty of news about flood updates on the east coast but nothing yet on any fire burning through our drought ridden land.
   When I arrived home I tuned into the San Antonio network affiliates and all I could find was their late night lineup with still no real news. Next I tuned into the Weather Channel, and finally in the midst of their evening updates was a photo of the massive blaze out of Bastrop Texas, but nothing about where it was headed and what kind of damage had been done. I ended up staying awake waaaay to late looking for some information and there was truly nothing to be found. There were massive evacuations going on and hundreds of homes burning....there were fires popping up all over Texas and I could find out almost nothing when I tuned into the media.
   By the next morning, I was completely frustrated! When I checked my Facebook though I started to get the real news of what was happening. This is because I found the Texas Storm Chasers page that several of my friends had "liked" and struck a gold mine. There were the actual people involved and affected by the fires updating constantly. They would post where new fires had sprung up all over Texas. There were tracking maps so you could see where the latest blaze had started. And if there was help needed in supplies or evacuating people and animals, this is where people were posting it. Unexpectedly Facebook had become my entire source for all the news I needed. So in this day and age the lesson learned is that for worldwide news there is still the necessity for FNN, CNN, and MSNBC....but if you want to truly know what is going on in your part of the world you better be in Facebook.

Game Time: Tackling the Past...the Family Movie is Back!

2011-09-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

I am a big believer in family movies, and especially if they are about football a sport a truly love. Some of our family favorites include "Remember the Titans", "Radio", and "The Blind Side". it is touching to tell a story with a sport that is so all-american and relatable. Which is why I was thrilled to be able to get a sneak preview of "Game Time: Tackling the Past" brought to you by Wal-Mart and Procter&Gamble who are partnering for a series of family movie nights.

I don't want to giveaway to many details because i want you and your family to enjoy seeing it for yourselves, but I will give a few lessons that I learned.

All the fame, glory, and money in the world will not get you what is really important in life.
Family is everything and sometimes a tragedy can make you realize what you have had all along.
A moment of glory at the cost of someone else is never worth it.

Game Time: Tackling the Past is on Saturday, September 3 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. Looking for more information on family movie night and upccaoming events that your everyone can enjoy then go to http://www.facebook.com/familymovienight.

It is already set on my TIVO to record it for my family to enjoy with our tradition of popcorn and movie bonding, I hope after seeing the trailer that it will be set on yours too.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

If you Give Christine a Contractor

2011-08-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

If you give Christine a contractor, chances are she will want a garage door repairman to go with it.

So you get the repairman to install a new door and fix the remotes, and all that electrical work will remind her that she needs an electrician.

The electrician comes out to replace two lights in the dining room, and the soft glow makes her reminisce about sunrises and sunsets so she decides she needs a painter.

Now the paint in the dining room glows from sunny yellow to deep gold depending on the position of the sunlight and she thinks the look will be complete with some crown molding.

With now a carpenter hired to finish the look completely it will remind her that crown molding would look excellent in two other rooms as well. so you agree to her whims and let the carpenter tackle additional rooms.

All this rearranging of rooms will make her realize she has way to much stuff cluttering the way and Christine will contact her friends to throw a huge garage sale, and completely pack up several tons of junk.

Having a garage sale means Yeah! Extra money....and wouldn't it be nice if the fence were repaired and some yard work done as well.

So to appease her you hire a gardener to help make the adjustments to the yard. Seeing all the beautiful work done reminds Christine that she needs to share the changes with others as she takes pictures to text and post to friends and family.

Talking to friends and family makes her realize that she really misses them and wants them all to come over and see the new house and yard so she starts to clean extensively.

While cleaning it gives her time to see how many changes she would make to the house if she could start all over from the ground up so she decides to put it up for sale.

With the realtor called and the house on the market the family will need a new house to live in.

....and chances are if you need a new house to live in you will probably need a contractor to go with it

Doing the Safety Dance

2011-08-30T11:38:00.000-05:00

   Let me preface this post with saying that pretty much everyone in my house is a Facebook addict to some degree. It is isn't quite at obsession level for me, but I do like to see what my friends are up to on a daily basis. Regan would be on Facebook 24/7 if I let her and as grown up as she is at 15.....she is also very naive. If somebody posts a link on her wall that she can click it to get a "free i-pad" then she believes it because it is from her friend. She has a very hard time seperating spam from reality. This is partly why I am so thrilled to be a part of the Trend Micro Titanium Security campaign through my good friends at bzzagent where I have been an agent for many years. For a limited time right now you can get a discount when you purchase online at the Trend website by putting in the code "BZZ30" when you check out or if you prefer to purchase it yourself instead of downloading it from online then feel free to use this printable coupon from Best Buy that will let you save $30.

   So how can Titanium™ Maximum Security help protect your digital life? Here's the scoop.

Your devices: Titanium™ Maximum Security protects your PC, Mac and even your mobile devices
Your privacy: Titanium™ Maximum Security protects against malware, spyware, spam and other threats that allow cybercriminals to steal your private information like passwords, credit card numbers or even home addresses
Your family: Titanium™ Maximum Security provides customizable tools to help you keep your kids safe online
Your data: Titanium™ Maximum Security protects and defends your data with tools like the Trend Micro Vault, Secure Erase file shredder and SafeSync secure online storage
Your social network: Titanium™ Maximum Security automatically shows you what links are safe and malicious on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace

   So check this out....here is a sample facebook page and it shows the sketchy links in red and the links that are fine to click in green. Isn't that cool!

Now I have no worries about what Ms. Regan chooses to click, and I can add my iphone and John Mark's to our coverage at no extra cost! We will have full safety coverage on every online available thing we own...so excuse me while I take my safety dance break!

Today I am Experiencing Photo Envy

2011-08-29T23:21:00.000-05:00

Hmmmmm....It has been one week since my girls started school this year, and I have to admit I am slightly bitter. Why? You might ask. Well for the first time ever they both refused to pose for me on the first day of school for an official picture. At the time we were in a rush to get going and I didn't push the issue. Believe me on that morning there was already enough drama going down without me trying to push that battle through. For instance Regan was unhappy with the breakfast choices, and proceeded to pout because I wouldn't let her throw it away and start over. Rebecca couldn't find her "perfect" shoes that were set to match her "perfect" outfit of choice. Picture taking was a moot point, I was just happy to get us on the road to school at all!
The bitterness really started to seep in later that day as I logged into my Facebook and scrolled through all of my friends and their gorgeous children all happily smiling out at me with their freshly pressed looks, and clean shiny faces. I sadly went through and liked all those precious photos. Then later in the day another friend of mine had the brilliant idea to just take one of her child after school....after all it was still the first day of school and even though she had forgotten before school it still counted, right? It was a brilliant plan....that I instantly forgot about right away. It was time for mom to do homework when the girls got home from school (Why is it that I always have more homework than they do on the first day back???). With paperwork all read and signed, and then supper to fix, and life just in general getting in the way the photo went completely out the window. I wonder if I could get them to sit still for a first month of school photo? That could still count as scrapbook worthy right?

Poking my Head Out

2011-08-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

There is no other way to start this again besides just seeing what is out there and what I have missed during my blogging sabbatical. I know some of you will be completely shocked that I am entering the blogging world again after being gone for nearly two years, but life has come full circle again and I have found my peace. No worries, I will not be updating the last two years in this one re-introductory post, I will probably be backdating a lot of things that have happened during my time off, so if you occasionally want to check the archives you will find some updates there on my family, and in particular what is going on with Regan and her cerebral palsy journey.
Otherwise, the backlog of companies emailing me to please partner with them has never stopped while I was gone, so you will continue to see plenty of product reviews, giveaways, and in general information and my take on things. To anyone who is new to my site, feel free to read the articles in my archives to see what goes on in my corner of the world. I have missed my blog and I look forward to growing with it again.

How the Girls went from Carnivores to Herbivores

2010-06-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

If you have read my post where I have gone Walkabout, then you know there were lots of struggles going on in my life when I decided to take a break from blogging and focus on my home situation. Here is the tale of how the school issue came to be resolved.

In the Spring of 2010, Regan was all set to graduate 8th grade from the happy little kingdom of Cougars, and we had no game plan for her. It is an issue I had put off for sometime hoping a solution would somehow just manifest itself to me. With her special needs in and out of the classroom, and her desire to be treated as normal as possible it was difficult to figure out what to do. Here were our three options.

Regan could go to the yard of the Bulldogs which is the town we reside in. The plus side was that it would be no effort to get her to school at all. The downside was the district has a lot of academic and discipline problems, and Regan requires a lot of one on one time. She also tends to be a follower, so I looked around at the kids who would be with her in her class, and found very few that would take the time to take her under their wing and develop a friendship with. Only two students from her 8th grade class would be going to that school and she wasn't particularly close to either of them. I was also worried that she would be lost in the large settting and not have the dream high school experience that I want for her.
Regan could go to the Comanche tribe located in smaller town 10 miles south of us. I contacted the school district and was informed that although they do not usually take in transfers, that they might be willing to include us and our circumstances. It is a much smaller school and Regan knew a few of the kids that would be in her grade, although none from her current school. It has an excellent academic record , and very little discipline problems. It seemed like a very probable choice, and one worth looking in to.
Regan could graze with the Brahmas located in medium size town 15 miles east of us. It was past the kingdom of cougars where I still intended to keep Rebecca for a while longer so I knew it would be easier to drop her off on the way. This school also had an excellent academic and discipline record. The superintendent was a good family friend who I had worked with for several years before she had changed to the bigger district. Most of Regan's classmates were going to attend here including the two she was closest too. When I called to discuss it with the superintendent she was thrilled to continue to be a part of Regan's education again, and it made our decision a little easier.

The final say we brought to the girls. I felt like they should have a part in their academic decision and know about all the options on the table along with the pros and cons. It was their future and I wanted to make sure they would be happy wherever we decided to put them for high school. They actually had a hard time with the choice of Bulldogs vs.Comanches vs. Brahmas, but it finally came down to the place that they knew more people, would have a really great support group of friends when they got there, and felt safe and academically challenged. So I guess you could say we just added two more to the herd....Go Brahmas!

On Walkabout

2010-01-20T13:28:00.000-06:00

walk·a·bout

Australian .

a brief, informal leave from work, taken by an Aborigine to wander the bush, visit relatives, or return to native life.

For lack of a better explanation this is what is going on with me at the moment. I want to personally thank all my readers for their time and devotion to my site, and I do have every intention of returning at some point. I am not leaving though without at least some explanation for what is going on in my life so I have broken it down to three major things. I hope this answers the Why, Who, and What the heck???

Overwhelmed- For many months now a family member has gone though some serious medical issues that I have declined to discuss on my site due to wanting to keep the privacy of said issue in the family. For lack of a better explanation though it has left me just numb. I am not sure what the outcome will be and I am hoping that it is resolved , but for the mean time we are just getting through it.
Apathy- My gift closet is overflowing (even with Christmas just passed) with the latest and greatest in gadgets and stuff, My freezers are full with the newest tasty tidbits, my bathrooms are stuffed with whatever hygiene issues you can imagine....and honestly at the moment I could care less. This is not good as a review blogger where my integrity and honesty with my readers means the world to me. I need to get back to the place where I can't wait to tell you what I like and sometimes don't like about the things I try. I want companies who partner with me to know I am honest when I review even if it is sometimes to their detriment.
Stressed- Regan is about to finish her eighth grade year, and we have no idea what to do next. I know what I do not want for her as part of her life/school plan, but deciding what the next step is....I am clueless. My spiritual life has taken a tumble as well, and we are deeply unhappy with our current church situation. We also want desperately to finish our house and put it on the market, but until we have job and school decisions everything is on hold.

For all of these reasons, it has been a tough few months, and I have put this off for far to long. So my Walkabout is born of necessity, and hopefully soon I will back to you dear reader with a new and improved me.

The Power of Blogging

2010-01-12T17:51:00.002-06:00

I get a looooooot of email from companies requesting me to post about things. Some of which I do especially if it interests me or I feel like it would be of interest to my audience. This is the tale of an opportunity I did not post about, but has as a result changed the life of a dear friend of mine.

My good friend Jennifer coaches with me in the evenings. She is a stay at home mom to three young children and has dreams of one day starting her own photography business. So when an opportunity came through my email about a world famous photographer having a scholarship contest to empower three women in a photography business. Complete with camera equipment, mentoring, and business help..... I didn't post about it, but I did tell Jennifer. I forwarded her my email and she grabbed the opportunity presented.

Congratulations Jennifer on being one of the three recipients of the SOAR scholarship and all that it entails. It was no accident that this happened for me to help put you on your path...... It's a God thing, I truly believe.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Can you Spell it out?

2009-12-16T19:41:00.003-06:00

The joys of the school spelling bee. Yes, it is that time of year again and all children at the girl's school in 4th through 8th grade have the option of being in the school spelling bee.

Both Regan and Rebecca always participate, and never study....just wing it. Their past experience with doing it this way has been successful so far so I guess it is no-loss formula in their eyes.

The funny thing is that accents can get in the way terribly as was so aptly demonstrated by this year's contestants. Apparently the rules are vague with how many times the moderator can say the word and then you either understand or not as the case may be...and spell to what you thought you heard. Kind of like the game telephone.

English teacher says "Algorythm" child hears "outter rim" no matter how many times the teacher says the word. The teacher does have a strong south Texas bohemian (czech/german) accent. You just hope for the best. The top five students remaining that basically don't mis hear and spell correctly their words get to move on to the county level.

Both the girls made it through the first round with Rebecca spelling lemon right and Regan with the word guitar. The second round took Rebecca out with the word bureaucracy (she couldn't understand the teacher at all on this one....or knew what it was). Regan moved on to the third round spelling boutique right. Finally Regan went out on Rennaissance but still ended up in 4th place so she moves on to the next round at the county level.

She has decided to study a bit for this level. Wish her luck!

The Fruit by the Foot Race

2009-12-12T19:35:00.001-06:00

It has come to be expected that when you spend the night at our house there is bound to be some wacky things happening, and you will leave completely entertained. Rebecca had two friends over and they had a ball with the eating challenge.

What kinds of fun things do the kids at your house do to entertain themselves and friends?

Food Memories Hickory Farms

2009-12-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

When I was a kid I remember every year shopping at the mall for the Christmas season. One of my favorite stops when we made these rare excursions was the Hickory Farms store. There were always such great little taste testing stations. I would stare in wonderment at the wheels of baby swiss (my favorite), and roam through all the choices of gift baskets that you could put together for any holiday celebration.

I thought at the time (just like my girls do now) that there wasn't a much better gift than a huge basket of delicious goodies all in bite size packages. This year our Christmas celebration started early as we received our very own gift box.

You shoud have seen the girls faces light up when I unpacked this little box of treasures. The spreads and cheese ball I am saving for holiday parties that are coming up, but the meats and cheeses I sliced up right away for us to snack on and enjoy. There was plenty for us to have an afternoon snack and then perfect for the girl's lunchboxes.

...and before you ask, I did share the strawberries. I didn't become the candy hog I would have loved to be.

What a great start to our season. I can't wait to share the rest with our friends at the numerous parties we are attending. Not only am I filled with nostalgic memories, we have happy bellies and smiles on our faces.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review

The Ultimate Party Meatballs Recipe

2009-12-10T12:36:00.001-06:00

Tonight John Mark and I are co-hosts of a holiday wedding shower for dear friends of ours. It is technically a company party that encompasses all the different people who work for the same firm as John Mark and live in our area. We are a very close knit group and get together outside of the work environment all the time. I have been a little scatterbrained lately so I was excited to be part of the Mom Central blog tour for the recipe of Ultimate Party meatballs. What a perfect holiday appetizer to take as part of my contribution to the shower. I could let these cook in the crockpot while I worked on other appetizers to bring as well.

The ingredients are so very simple which I appreciate as I run around all day like I live in a mad house.

1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce
1 Can Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 Package of frozen ready made meatballs

Basically the extent of labor is opening the packages which I can definitely handle. The meatballs go on the bottom then pour on top your other two ingredients. I have my setting at low since I am basically putting these out of my mind for most of the day. I stirred it every few hours.

These are ready for me to take to the wedding shower with a bowl of party toothpicks. Easy to eat and great tasting. I can highly reccomend this recipe for holiday entertaining and the cranberry jelly gives it just the right seasonal flair. Enjoy!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Heinz and Ocean Spray and received the ingredients necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

St. Nicholas can you do Something about my Car?

2009-12-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

Dear St. Nicholaus,

Thank you for your generosity to my girls they are thrilled with the nail polish, fun earrings, and hot cocoa they found in their boot this morning. I wish that I had taken the time to write you also. I hope it doesn't particularly matter that we are not a Catholic family but enjoy the tradition of you all the same due to my german heritage that I want to preserve for my girls.

In my letter to you I have but one wish.....a working vehicle that I can call my own. Since my wreck nearly two months ago, and the repair and subsequent breakdown of my car. I have been utterly frustrated. The second rental car decided to not start this morning just as John Mark left for the airport on a three day work streak in St. Louis. Once again I rely on the good friends in small town to help me out. One good friend helped me by taking Rebecca to and from cheer practice, and then two more friends came out to jump start the rental and take it back to the dealership leaving me another vehicle in it's place.

It is not that I am ungrateful for all the help, it is just hard to rely on others when all you want is your own car back, or to have it replaced so that you can move on. Please consider my one wish for this holiday season is to once again be self sufficient in a vehicle I can call my own. Thank You!

I can't believe I saw Snow today!

2009-12-04T13:25:00.003-06:00

While I am so ~~jealous~~ happy that my sister and her family including my aunt and uncle are all having a wonderful time at Walt Disney World. ~~I hope every ride is closed due to unforesseen circumstances.~~ I can't wait to hear all of their adventures when they get back and look forward to the stories of my gorgeous neices and all they experienced.

Since I am not bitter in the slightest, I have to tell you we have been warily anticipating this day. For some reason the goofy weatherman insists it it going to snow today. Does he not realize I live in South Texas? I live here expressly because I hate cold and snow in all of it's forms. I never dream of white Christmases when I would much rather have beachy palm tree kinds of Christmases complete in sundresses and sandals.

Snow?
Here?

But yeah, it is freaky weather today and in typical South Texas fashion everyone is going beserk. Schools are trying to decide whether to close and we are waiting to hear if they will cancel my husband's company Christmas Party that we are to attend this evening.

I head to school around lunchtime, and my car is being bombarded with snowflakes. It is just nuts to me. When I got to school the kids were all running around joyfully trying to catch flakes on their tongues, and wishing it would actually stick to the ground, but no such luck.

Our snowflurry was gone by 1:00 pm, and it was clear skies from then on.
There have been rare occasions of snow this far south, but never this early. I wonder what that says about global warming?

For the Love of Advent Calendars

2009-12-03T12:52:00.001-06:00

Two traditions are strong in my house as soon as December makes an appearance. The first is that both of my children require Advent Calendars.

The kind that count down the days until Christmas and behind every door is a piece of chocolate. These have long been a family tradition and pretty hard to come buy when you live in a small town. My mom and my sister usually find these wonderful little calendars at World Market and make sure to buy for several friends children as well.

The second tradition is St. Nicholas Day. Now we are not Catholic if that is your first thought, but instead I attribute it to my german roots. My mother grew up with tradtional St. Nicholas as a child in southern Germany. In turn, I was raised to write my letter to St Nicholas on December 5th of every year and place it in my boot (or actually we would use my dad's boots because they were much bigger) at the front door.

The next morning our letters would be gone and our boots had small goodies in them. My mom always included the traditional fruit and nuts in ours along with a small gift.

The girls wrote their letters and Regan's was wonderful making sure to ask after St. Nicholas and he was before asking for her three items. She even encouraged him to take a vaction after the holiday season and to keep those reindeer coats shiny with hair supplements. Rebecca's letter got straight to the point detailing items she deemed appropriate to ask for Christmas.

I should add that with all of Regan's gushing she asked for uber expensive items that she will not get i.e. a laptop, a cell phone, and a vacation to Disney. Rebecca's note in all of it's starkness covered a dvd, board games, and clothes. She is ever the practical one.

I can't wait to put them in their boots at the door and see what happens.

What holiday traditions start off your Christms season?

Eye-yi-yi

2009-12-01T17:37:00.000-06:00

Regan has for years failed every school eye exam. Every year no matter what I get a phone call from the school nurse saying how badly her glasses are working and she needs a new prescription. Every year I call the Opthamologist completely frustrated that her lenses seem to be so completely off. After seeing the proffessional they always change her glasses prescription with just a tweak and tell me that her eyes look pretty good. Why is it that the school and the doctor are complete polar opposites on the eye frontier.

This year it was no different, and I basically was dismissive to the school nurse. I really didn't want to take Regan for the proffessional opinion when I knew it was going to be virtually no change yet again....but a dent in my pocket nonetheless.

But I caved....

And vented my frustration to the doctor that either Regan is testing badly with the school eye exam or we really were way off with her numbers. She just looked at me a funny, and said "Does the school know that she is pretty blind in her right eye due to her prematurity and retinopathy at birth?"

No
and I didn't know that either.....

Why is it something that has basically benn with her since birth and in all of her medical charts probably hidden in some obscure medical jargon had never been explained to me....or written out to the school in her file. It is crazy to me that at fourteen years old I learn something so completely new about my child, and one that really can't be fixed.

She overcompensates with her left eye which really works beautifully, and her right eye is a disaster. Boy does that clear up a lot with her ability to focus.

Well now I know and so does the school, and once again her prescription chnaged just slightly, but the opthmologist assured me the glasses she was wearing were just fine, but she would write me a prescription for me to get a current back up pair if I wished.

Designer Tree or Well Loved Sanctuary

2009-11-29T11:26:00.001-06:00

My tree every year in no way has a color palette that matches my decor. If I have matching ornaments at all it is because so many of them come in two's for Regan and Rebecca to inherit one day for their own trees. I love my christmas tree, and every ornament I unwrap brings a smile to my face. Whether it is my ornament made for me by my own great grandmother, or the ornaments I bought as a new bride, and the ones I inherited from my mother's tree. I love each story that they have to tell, and I whisper to each one like they were my children that they are my favorite.

Our typical routine is to take everything out of the attic the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We break out the Christmas CD's and the hot cocoa. We get to work with each doing their own traditional jobs. John Mark decorates outside wrapping a tree and lining the sidewalk with lights. I put together the tree (all fake for us). I have to add lights, ribbon, and fun gold curly Q's to it before the first ornament goes up.

Regan unwraps each ornament out of the tissue and we talk about the history of each one. What country they came from, what special meaning or person they came from. Rebecca adds the hooks and I place it in a perfectly planned spot on the tree. When we step back with the finished tree it is pure joy and always makes us feel the Christmas spirit has started.

GameStop saves my Black Friday shopping

2009-11-27T11:05:00.002-06:00

I love Black Friday with every fiber of my being. To me it is an example of first of all what retail is really worth (to some degree) and human interaction. Standing in line at Kohl's at four in the morning, you begin to make friends with those around you, find out deals on items you weren't even considering, and learn all kinds of shopping strategies.

The main big ticket item we were hunting for was the Wii. Regan had saved up her money to buy the game system. I was determined to find it at a better price the $199 which is what it was advertised for at Sears and Wal-Mart. Also high on the shopping list was purchasing a Dyson vaccuum for my parents (their funds mind you, not my own). New to my shopping experience this year was having Rebecca join me.

For some reason she was convinced that I was going to the biggest party of the holiday season every year after Thanksgiving. She has begged the entire year to be allowed to go with me. She didn't mind waking up at 3:00 am and wanted to experience all that Black Friday is about. We had our lists, our strategies, and snacks ready to go and we were off to find the bargains. In the midst of all the office furniture in Target we found the Dyson deal, and grabbed it quickly.

The best Wii deal was at HEB Plus which was advertising at $149...but limited supply. The next best deal was GameStop which had a deal with trade in of an old system. No problem there, we were more than willing to sacrifice the old Playstation II for the upgrade.

GameStop was a dream when we arrived there, The employees were wonderful to work with even on the most harrowing day of the year. They answered every question I had and found me an even better deal than I was going for. Apparently they carry factory refurbished systems as well as the new ones. It had already been cleaned, checked, and played in great working condition, and with the trade-in of my system and the purchase of three games we ended up paying a total of $160. forty less than all the competitors.

The girls are thrilled and have really enjoyed their games. I love all the great physical therapy and occupation therapy Regan is getting with how intricate all the sports and activities that come with the Wii are. I ended a wonderful day of shopping with the best Black Friday ever.

How Starbucks ruined my Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:42:00.001-06:00

Well I had been officially without a car for five weeks. I am not going to lie. It has been hell....no kidding. I loooooove my little Honda Odyssey mini van. Regan could maneuver in the seats easily. Her walker and wheelchair and any extra paraphenalia fit nicely in the back. I could haul eight people around at a moments notice. In short I love my car.

Well due to the small fender bender that I had mentioned before. The insurance company did not opt to toal my car....but to fix it which in small town translation means the local body shop has to order Honda parts from BFE and fix it all up.

What they don't tell you is that anything left in your car will not be touched by a mechanic NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!! I guess that is not part of the repair shop employee screening process.

So say your darling child left hot chocolate from Starbucks in the back cup holder and it has been an extended period of time in an enclosed space with no thoughtful repair shop man to dispose of it for you. When you get your car back....It is going to smell! I mean stink so bad that you once again you thank God that you live in south Texas and can roll your windows down to drive and won't be freezing.

So the day before Thanksgiving when I was celebrating the return of my precious little mini van....I spent the whole evening febreezing, lysol, renuzit....etc.

Then the next day we took Rebecca's friend back to her family ranch in a neighboring town and on my way back.....my van died.

On the side of a road in a still smelly van on Thanksgiving morning and a house full of people heading my way.

Starbucks is not to blame I know....but gosh it made for a really difficult day.

I should have Blogged but Instead got Distracted by Pilgrims

2009-11-24T14:07:00.001-06:00

Today my younger Gifted and Talented group are presenting their Thanksgiving play to the local Lions Club. In some form of insanity I thought it was a good idea to take seven boys and one girl from 1st-4th grade to present a program for my husbands organization. Let me be clear that these boys can be wild.

It is partly why I just adore them, they are creative free spririted and imaginative beyond belief. It makes them perfect in GT, but sometimes difficult in socail situations. After they had made their own costumes, helped with script, designed the background.....well I couldn't help but want to show them off.

So last week we practiced like crazy. Then the 7th grade class who had built a tepee and and drying rack for a history project decided to work with us and loan us their items to enhance our scene. Add a Mayflower and we had the cutest little set you ever saw. We moved all this industrial equipment from the school to the community center with the help of the 7th grade and we were good to go.

My darlings were fabulous if I do say so myself, and the only time I really had to reign them in was not letting them go crazy when they were offered lunch by the Lions Club. One of my boys wanted to know if he could put three rolls on his plate. One wanted to keep the community ketchup on our table just in case he needed more, and one proceeded to pick off all the breading from his fried chicken and put it on a napkin beside his plate (at least he used a napkin).

I pronounced the day a success and I am very proud of my younger group even if social skills beomes my next major project with them.

I should have Blogged but I did Sparkle

2009-11-23T13:56:00.002-06:00

I have conveniently ignored the fact that I have fifteen people coming to my home for Thanksgiving dinner this year. With my cleaning skills being somewhat lacking....and me falling so far behind on my computer work. I thought "what the heck" might as well dedicate my whole day to making this place sparkle and shine.

It consisted of moving about twenty boxes that are loaded up for my next garage sale whenever that might be. There were also about eight boxes I have packed in getting my house prepared to be put on the market. It's not like we are talking cross country moving here. We just want to find a place about ten miles down the road in the neighboring school district.

Anyway (sorry I am random and distracted), I packed and polished. I scrubbed and vaccuumed. I ironed table clothes and put out the good china and crystal so that it would get one more use before it was designated to packing boxes as well. I even managed to decorate and cut out my placecards on the cricut.

I have been a busy little beaver have ya'll missed me?

I should have Blogged but I Cheered Up

2009-11-22T13:53:00.000-06:00

Cheer season is upon us once again at my house. This year both the girls are involved again. Regan had taken a break from cheerleading the last two years to do dance instead, but she is back and will compete in the next few months.

Rebecca's squad has been practicing their routine since August and were hoping to once again get a National Bid to the championships at Walt Disney World. This is just her favorite thing in the whole world. On any given day you will find Rebecca practicing her routine or choreographing her own dance or making up her own cheers. It is constant at our house and her absolute passion in life.

They did okay for their first competition of the season. It showed what they were doing right and where they could improve. They did get the bid for Disney World, so now it is up to the parents if we feel like the squad is good enough for the big time agin this year. Last year they placed third in the nation, but the way the routine shaped up on Sunday they have a lot to improve on before they are back at that caliber again.

Regan voted for Disney, because I told her I wouldn't go again without her......you can tell the girls have no inkling about how bad the economy is and whether it will even be manageable in the family budget.

I should have Blogged but Instead got Horrible News

2009-11-21T13:35:00.000-06:00

Today we went to a wedding in our small town. In typical small town style there was everyone and their dog invited. The local community center had over 800 people crammed in to dine, dance, and socialize. One of my friends from a neighboring town is a gossipy sort and couldn't wait to give me the dish on a mutual friend.

It was a nightmare beyond belief. To put a very long story short there was an incident of child molestation in a house that both of my girls have spent quite a bit of time in over the years. It lead to suicide by the perpetrator and the devistation of an entire family in one swoop.

At the first hearing of the story I was sure my gossipy friend was lying or had misunderstood the facts. Then to my horror I found out the story was indeed true. A day that started in the joy of watching two young people start out their dreams has led to a personal nightmare. To talk to my girls about this was going to be difficult too.

This is a home where both of my girls especially Rebecca had spent a lot of time. Rebecca had even stayed an entire week while John Mark and I were on vacation years ago. I was told by other mutual friends that the incident wasn't isolated and that a few more victims had come forth....but on a good note it had not involved any of the children that lived there. It was an outside family member that very few children came in contact with.

Luckily, after a very intensive conversation with the girls they both assured me that nothing remotely wrong had ever occured with them or in their presence. They were just as surprised at the news as I was. I am so sad that my friend and her family are going through this and at the same time relieved that nothing ever involved my children.

I should have Blogged but I joined Team Jacob instead

2009-11-20T12:41:00.000-06:00

Today is my darling Regan's fourteenth birthday. In honor of her obsession with Twilight we took a group to see New Moon. Now I have read the books, and I enjoyed the first movie so I was anticipating a really good flick. I was not disapointed at all!!!

What I didn't expect were those "cougar feelings" to creep out at the stunning hotness that is Taylor Lautner. WOW! Now, I am not a Jacob fan in the books. As I was reading I was always rooting for Edward and knew were Bella's heart lay. One ab shot later in the movie and I was willing to switch in a heartbeat. You could tell by the sighs and gasps from a theatre filled with females that I was not alone in this feeling.

I went from feeling very old being the mother of a fourteen year old....to feeling a little creepy for finding a young man just delicious to look at. Now I find myself working up a sweat a little more at the gym and eyeing the appetite suppressant shelf at the grocery store.....because there is the chance he could find me and think I am hot....right?

My girls think it is funny that I agree with them about TL on their hotness scale. I really hope this is a weird pre-menopausal phase because I am pretty sure my husband won't appreciate it if I decide to ask him to growl at me like a wolf.

I should have Blogged but it's Game Day

2009-11-19T12:39:00.000-06:00

Today is the final basketball game before the holidays for the girls school team. Rebecca has played amazingly enough for three years now and is an agressive tiny little thing. She has no fear about going for the ball and stealing it. In fact she is quite good at it, but this is where her lack of basketball skills come into play.

My poor child can't shoot....or aim....and sometimes panics when she has the ball, and just looks to pass it off to someone else. I know it comes from lack of traing not lack of ability. Skills come with time and practice. I know if she put forth the same effort that she does towards her cheerleading and tumbling skills, I would have an amazing athlete on my hands. Her body is an amazing piece of fitness equipment in itself. She can flip and tumble all day long, but aim and shoot one ball, and it is an entirely different world.

Today I avoided blogging and went to a neighboring school to watch the final game. I got a great picture of Rebecca (#10) and some of her best friends for a quick pose before the game. Then during the game the two times she played she barely had the ball at all to get a shot. Then she got stomped on by a girl on the opposing team and we had a bruised foot to deal with.

Medicures and Panicures

2009-11-16T12:32:00.002-06:00

My darling husband is feeling a bit of guilt overload. He did go with us to Disney on Ice, but he is skipping town this weekend for a "boys weekend" hunting in South Texas. This would normally not be a big deal at all, but this Friday is Regan's birthday so he asked for permission to be excused from the festivities.

I should clarify that into saying he will not be attending "New Moon" this Friday with me and several squealing girls and two other mothers. He is quite broken-up about it. To help make amends he treated the three of us on Saturday to our choice of a manicure or pedicure at a local nail salon.

Regan has gotten a manicure before when she was on vacation with us and Rebecca was off at camp. She decided again that a manicure was best because no one ever sees a pedicure with her leg braces on. She chose a pretty peach color for her nails which suited her coloring perfectly.

Rebecca was uber excited to sit in the "spa" chair and have her feet massaged. She was even more thrilled when I let her get a flower painted on each big toenail. Later that evening we went to a wedding and she spent a lot of time making sure her feet got noticed. Aren't they cute?

And yes I realize the title is backwards. It is because the girls keep getting the words all mixed up wich just cracks me up!

Photographing Regan

2009-11-15T11:08:00.002-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how difficult it is to photograph Regan? It has nothing to do with how gorgeous she is (obviously, LOL), but the fact that she is extremely hard to direct. She has no problems with red eye, coloring, or dark eye circle. It has everything to with the fact she cannot open her eyes and smile at the same time.

"Regan, open your eyes"
So she of course uses her hands to help open her lovely brown eyes wide. her eyelid muscles just refuse to cooperate with her smile muscles. She can also not give a closed mouth smile or a half smile....we have tried.

So often we try to catch her off guard being natural because posing makes it so much worse and you can spend up to an hour wading through posed pics to find one that will "work".

On the other hand Rebecca my little narcissistic child will pose all day long with ease and loves the camera. Half of her pictures are deleted because she could just have you take pics or take them of herself pretty much all day long.

Are some of your children more camera easy than others?

Disney On Ice was Amazing!

2009-11-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

It has been a few years since we have gone as a family to one of the Disney on Ice shows. On Friday we took the girls to see the 100 Years of Magic and what an incredible time we had. We enjoyed singing along with all of our favorite songs, and the amazing capabilities of the ice skaters. Some of those skaters are just amazing. We saw several who could even do back flips on the ice!The girls loved Pinnochio and the Lion king the best, but my favorite was Beauty and the Beast and the trip back time with the "Mickey Mouse Club" theme song. Here are a few pics for you to enjoy.

We snacked as we watched the show on cotton candy that came complete with a crown (with mouse ears of course). We had a great view from the handicapped section. One of the down sides is that you are far away from most of the action, but the major plus is you have plenty of seating room and nobody blocking your view from the front. It was also easy to leave first and get out of the parking lot. It was a fun show that gave several story synopsis with great music to enjoy and a wonderful family moment we will cherish. Thank you again Mom Central for the opportunity to represent you and share with my readers.

Thursdays= Family Days

2009-11-13T10:56:00.001-06:00

At our house Thursdays are dedicated to Family Day. It is the a day that I do not work at the gym in the evenings, and the girls have nothing planned. Typically it involves going to the movies or family game night at the house. This week we went golfing as a family and then went to John Mark's office.

The fun part of his office is that he has a ping pong table in his conference room that doubles as his table when he has mettings, but throw on the stereo, order a pizza, and it is our own personal party lounge. In between challenging each other to games and dancing aound the room we enjoyed a family fellowship moment that we have come to look forward to on our Thursday nights.

Anyone else celebrate a family night once a week?

Things Remembered: Make A Wish Bear

2009-11-11T23:32:00.000-06:00

One of the most meaningful gifts you can give at Christmas are those that serve a dual purpose. It should awe the recipient and proceeds from the gift should go to a worthwhile cause. To bring this point home one of my go-to gift finding places, Things Remembered demonstrates this beautifully this year.

Isn't he adorable? This is Max and he is this year's collaboration with Things Remembered and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is a charity that I hold in very high regard. Many of Regan's friends have been granted wishes through this organization and we have seen what a difference it can make in the lives of families with terminally ill children. It is a charity that merits my attention and when there is a bear as adorable as Max that I can buy and personalize, it makes giving so mch easier.

Max has soft moveable arms and he is holding a snowglobe that plays" When you Wish upon a Star". The base of the music box can be engraved with a personal message. I wish I could tell you about my message that my daughter and I requested, but unfortunately that person reads my blog faithfully (sorry). The great part is that two dollars from every Max bear purchased goes to the Make a Wish Foundation with Things Remembered promising a minimum donation this year of $250,000. WOW!

If you are looking for a wonderful gift that also helps terminally ill children fulfill some of their biggest dreams than look into finding your own Max a home this holiday season. Things Remembered is found in most malls or feel free to shop using the highlighted link.

If you are wondering whether my Max is finding his way to under your tree this year? Well I am not telling!

Disciplining my CP child is tough

2009-11-09T21:56:00.000-06:00

You would think a child this lovely could not possibly get in trouble or pull the things that she does. You would think that and be utterly wrong. I swear she just comes up with ways to make up for the fact that she can't physically do anything wrong....so she justs tests us in every other area.

I will say though this time it has nothing to do with being random on my cell phone there are no hidden charges for Ferrari parts or anything. Today at the gym Regan had my phone and received a text from John Mark asking what we would like him to make for dinner (yes he cooks most nights, aren't I lucky?). Regan called out the question to Rebecca and I because we were both coaching at the time.

I immediately requested grilled chicken ceasar salads, basically I was craving something delicious and not too heavy for an evening meal. I saw her texting away and gave it no more thought. During a break between classes I went over and checked my phone, and read Regan's reply to her dad.

"Mom says she wants steak, baked potatoes, and ciabatta bread for dinner"

Ummmmm, no I did not!!!! Sounds more like what Regan wanted for dinner.

We have four days until Regan's birthday party with her best friend from disability camp and normally my first instinct is to take the party away from her for being so disobedient. Unfortunately the tickets for "Disney on Ice" are already here and her friend has never gotten a night out with another friend....ever ( her mom is very hesitant with her disablity).

I hate that she pulls this right before a major event for her because I normally don't hesitate to go full force on discipline, so that it hits hard and makes an impact. So John Mark and I are indiscussion on how else to punish her. Any Ideas?

Tiny Prints and Christmas Cards

2009-11-08T10:03:00.000-06:00

Every year I am bombarded with an entourage of beautiful family Christmas cards. The perfect family photos beautifully trimmed with holiday decor. My friend Kelly spends part of her year every year planning her girl's chirstmas card in some unique and adorable situation. My sister, Jennifer always produces the ideal Christmas look in coordinating outfits and beautiful smiles. Every year I have every intention of joining the legion of family friends who send out the prefect Christmas greeting.

Alas, I fail miserably.

This year I have fallen in love with the Tiny Prints holiday selection. I have dreams of the perfect family photo smiling out for all of our friends to see. See that stunning Black and white toile card. Did you know I have a weakness for all thinks toile?

Looking for your own Christmas cards for the holiday season? I can highly reccomend the the photocards, pop up cards, and charity celebrity designed cards from Tiny Prints. I bought the girls camp staion ary from Tiny Prints and I can tell you that this is a quality stationary company that I like so much that they are my first official advertiser (see right hand column for a direct link and example). I am off to plan outfits that match that toile!

Getting Kicked out of a Bingo Hall takes Talent

2009-11-07T00:24:00.000-06:00

For the last several Fridays my family has gone against the Texas tradition of Friday Night Football, and stealthily snuck into the underbelly of small town life the Bingo halls. It is a guilty pleasure that I just adore, and have now exposed the rest of my family....to my utter shame and embarrassment.

We have smelled the fried food and lure of possibly easy money. The girls love that they are allowed to play and keep their winnings in a form of gambling that small town likes to call fundraising for charity.

I have discovered that there are many ways to nearly get kicked out of said Bingo halls, and my rambunctious group are testing out every theory.

Things the bingo loyalists do not find funny include

1. Yelling Go Fish instead of Bingo.
2. Annoyingly saying "got it" or "don't got it" after every number called.
3. Having Regan repeat every number called out to make sure she heard it right.
4. Having Rebecca speak quite loudly on the dangers of smoking as she passes the smoking section. (That is sure to increase our popularity)
5. Announcing quite loudly when you have one number left.
6. Saying "Doink" repeatedly as you dob each number on the paper that is called.
7. Having your husband make a snide comment and snicker when they call out " O 69" or your kids using the age old joke of "Before What?" everytime "B4" is called.

What has started out as a fun family activity has become my own personal nightmare as my family is determined to eventually get us kicked out of the bingo hall and then even the underbelly of small town life will cease to exist for us.

Go Fish!!!

The Suburban Outlaw Tales from the Edge: Book Review

2009-11-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

I read Suburban Outlaw by Pam Sherman, about a month ago and have already loaned it out twice. First of all because it was laugh out loud funny and secondly beacuse it was a quick read that I knew several of my friends would enjoy. I love it when you read something that can be engagingly familiar without having to tug at heartstrings.

It is a hilarious book that combines a sharp urban sense of humor with an outtake on life in the suburbs. As a small town gal myself it is easy to relate to many of her frustrations such as finding the perfect hairdresser and the right type of clothing to suit the city girl removed from her element. Pam kept me hooting out loud as she talks about finding her people and her husband's "other" girlfriend. I completely related to her absolute loathing for nicknames for herself. Which even inspired me to write a post on that subject matter a while back.

She has the wit of Jen Lancaster in essay form so that each individual portion is easy to read and a story on its' own. I reccomend this to all my readers who find that sarcasm is indeed their hidden superpower and want to enjoy a book without feeling emotionally overwhelmed. This one is book shelf worthy which says a lot at my house.

Order from Amazon and enjoy!

Of South Park and Corn

2009-11-03T22:22:00.000-06:00

About a week ago Rebecca came home and asked about the television show "South Park". A friend of hers was saying that it was his favorite show and how funny it was. He was shocked that she had never watched it. I'm pretty sure that up until this point she didn't even know the show existed. It is not a family show that we watch at all in our home. I know I watched a few episodes when it came out years ago, but really it had been eons since I even paid any attention to it.

When she asked me about the show and if she would be allowed to watch it, I responded with "let me watch an episode first and I will let you know if I think it is appropriate."

Wow!

Either I am really old, or this show is just disturbing and I didn't realize it when I watched it years ago. There were basically naked men having sex....on a cartoon, and lots of very degrading remarks. Nothing I would ever let my child watch....and certainly nothing I thought was the slightest bit funny.

I explained the next day that it was not going to be a show she would be able to watch. I told her there were naked people in cartoon form and that I considered it to be porn (a word I should have probably explained better).

Rebecca went off to school and came home later that day saying all of her friends looked confused when she said she was not allowed to watch South Park because it had way to much corn in it.

Yup, corn.
I wish that was South Park's only problem.

Halloween Costume Parade

2009-10-31T08:41:00.001-05:00

Halloween started yesterday for us with the annual costume parade at the girl's school. Regan went as a disability camp counselor which of course only needed me to buy a whistle. Rebecca and her best friend Kayla went as cats, and those eyelashes were incredible!. One of my favorite characters of the day was the girl's principal. He went as a pirate and kept in character the whole time, which just cracked us up. He was in accent the whole morning and took the time to talk to each kid about their costumes and welcomed them to be a part of his crew.

Some of my favorite costumes from the kids are those who are creative enough to use what they find around them at home. One fifth grader went as a tourist complete with her Samsonite luggage and a camera around her neck. The best though was my good friend Tammy whose son came in a box that was speckled on the top half and painted white on the bottom.

What was he?

A crouton dipped in ranch dressing! Isn't that he best?

Have a great Halloween and if you are in San Antonio, come find us at the Boo at the Zoo event.

Weekend Forecast: Sunny with a chance of ZhuZhu Pets

2009-10-29T09:11:00.001-05:00

The options around small town for Halloween were limited this year. The girls are a little to old for trick-or treating now. None of their friends are throwing Halloween parties, and I didn't particularly feel up to it. They could hand out candy at John Mark's business for the community Pumpkin Patch Trail (which in their minds was about as thrilling as researching term life insurance rates). They could also go to a neighboring town for the haunted corn maze, but it is not handicapped friendly for Regan, and Rebecca gets nightmares way to easily.

Lucky for us a job opportunity has come our way that suits us all perfectly. I was asked if I would be available to travel to San Antonio for their annual "Boo at the Zoo" event and run the booth for the ZhuZu pets hamsters that are all the rage right now. Well the girls and I love the zoo, and we had good friends that want to work too. I am really excited to get the opportunity to have a fun Halloween in San Antonio with friends....plus get paid!

I hope I see some of my central Texas readers there and I know we are going to have hamsters to give away so come by, say hi!

The Sheet Search (say that 10x fast)

2009-10-27T14:02:00.000-05:00

Regan is almost fully recovered from her injury that happened in August. A quick recap...

She was walking around the school track in her walker with her aide during PE time in 100 plus degree weather, and fell to her knees. She not only got incredibly scraped up but also had minor burns as well. The recovery of her injuries has been less than pleasant to say the least.

Because the scrape and burn went through several layers of skin, but not deep enough for stitches or anything it has taken For-E-Ver to heal. For the first month we kept her in the wheelchair and applied ointments etc. This month we finally have her in her walker and working again, but one small scrape still someitmes opens. The problem is the longer Regan is out of her walker the harder it is for her to pick up walking again. Needless to say I hate it when she is in her wheelchair, because chances are down the road she will be stuck in one for life, so right now I want her as active as possible.

The other rather nasty side affect is her bedding. As much as I have tried to keep bandages and everything healing, for some reason she still ends up in her comfortable fetal position every night with all bandages mysteriously on the floor, and disgusting sheets.

I have never done so much bedding laundry on nearly a daily basis, and they have become threadbare and still stained no matter what additive I am using lately. I am ready for her to heal and buy her all new sheet sets. Some comfortable 300+ thread count, with wrinkle treatment, and luxurious softness. I am ready for this child's knees to heal once and for all. I think I will burn her sheets in celebration when that day finally does come.

Of course I would post a pic....but really who wants to see my darling's knees in all their nastiness. Just take my word for it people!

Commended Performance TAKS

2009-10-26T23:14:00.001-05:00

There is no doubt that Regan struggles to some degree in school. Her cerebral palsy definitely affects some of her learning skills and ability to process information. There is no doubt in my mind though that once she understands, she has it forever. She has an amazing memory that continually astounds us.

For years the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) standardized tests have been modified for her to some degree. For example she is given special permission from the state to use a calculator for the math portion, and while it may seem really fortunate, it is because of her inability to properly align the numbers when she writes out a problem, hence major mistakes happen. On other tests though it is usually in regards to larger print, having questions read to her orally, or given the core questions without all the extra filler they put in for the average student.

There are definitely years when her TAKS scores have been less than thrilling, and there was the year we were horrified to learn that her bubbling in the answers had gotten off by a line, and the teacher could say nothing to her about it. But this year......we were in tears proud of my girl!!!!!!

She not only passed the 7th grade TAKS test in writing, but she scored 100%!!!! Yes, she really did. Today she received a special commendation and certificate from the school since her paper was graded much later than her classmates, so she was not recognized at last years awards ceremony. today she received applause from the entire school in the Monday morning assembly on a job well done.

She is awesome!

In case you didn't know.

My Horrific Honda Scare...Should be driving a GM

2009-10-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

On our way to Wal-Mart yesterday where I was going to develop pictures (and play BINGO). The girls and I got stuck in a work zone. Traveling at about 25 mph behind a long line of cars and a Texas Highway Department Pilot car, somewhere up ahead somebody stepped on their brakes. I was the last car in the line and plowed into the truck in front of me. This is what my Honda looked like yesterday around 10:00 am.

The girls immediatey burst into tears, and luckily for all three of us no one was hurt at all. Rebecca pretty much snapped out of it immediately, and then wated to borrow my phone to call all of her friends to tell them what happened (isn't that crazy). Regan took a very long time to calm down, and was hysterical for the better part of a 1/2 hour, but that goes along with her cerebral palsy and inability to process things well.

We made it safely to the shoulder of the road, but my entire front at that time was smoking as we got out. I went straight into logic mode...which is always how I handle a crisis. For some reason I always get completely calm and logical, about what I should be doing. We called John Mark to come out (and the call center of our insurance company). I had Rebecca gather up everything we needed to get out of the car. I took pictures for my insurance. The truck we rear ended contained four guys that were traveling and they got out to assess their damage.

There was none.... not even a dent, and the one little bit of white paint that got on their steel constructed bumper, just chipped off. The American made farm truck was stalwart and standing, while my Honda was a testament to modern fiberglass and plastic....and for some reason no air bags deploying (going to research still why not). The guys looked at my wreck and their truck, and everyone pretty much agreed that was why American vehicles were made better.

The sherrif's department came out, as well as a representitive for the Texas Highway Department since it happened in a work zone, and everyone was amazed at the difference in the two vehicles. My battered Honda left for the wrecker yard, and the truck simply drove away.

There is something to be said for American made, and it's almost too late to realize it.

The New Smart Ones: Review

2009-10-25T10:19:00.000-05:00

I have really focused on eating better since my girls have gone back to school. One of the biggest traps I can fall easily into is snacking out of sheer boredom. Does that happen to anyone else? Well to combat this I have been trying to drink a lot more water when I am bored instead of reaching for food in between meals. Then when I am ready to eat a meal I watch how many calories I am consuming. A great solution I have discovered are Smart Ones by the Weight Watchers company. Especially at lunch time when I only have myself to feed, and I do not need to worry about the rest of my family and making their meals.

Recentli, I was sent three coupons to try some of Smart Ones newest products. I bought the Artisan Creations Stone Fired Pizza in pepperoni, the Smart Ones Pizza Minis also in pepperoni, and the Artisan Creations Grilled Flatbread in chicken marinara. All three of these are tasty lunchtime options that fall between the five to eight points if you follow Weight Watchers and their points system. As for me with just trying to eat a little healthier and a lot less, these come in perfect lunchtime sizes and I was not hungry afterwards and since I have been eating healthier I love that there are tasty options available for me at lunch.

I really appreciate how much effort Smart Ones has put into their lunches. I thought all three were tasty and I have gone back and bought more fore me to have as my lunchtime options at home. My favorite are the flatbreads which I can't get enough, and I also really enjoy the Fruit Inspirations line. These are a healthy, affordable, and tasty too, how could you go wrong with that?

Disney On Ice Celebrates: 100 Years of Magic

2009-10-24T16:24:00.001-05:00

For Regan's birthday this year we are going to see Disney On Ice. We had gone a few years ago and the girls just loved it when we saw Beauty and the Beast as an ice show. They still talk about the memories we made as a family on that day. To me it is so much more important that the girls get these wonderful experiences to cherish then have stuff cluttering their rooms. Often for Christmas and Birthdays I look for them to have experiences rather than stuff.

This year at the Reliant Center in Houston the family is excited about spending time together and celebrating my darling girl turning another year older and causing me many more gray hairs. Luckily, for that evening we look forward to the joy and magic that is Disney, and spending time together as a family. Would you like to enjoy some quality time with your family at a great price? Right now there is a coupon code through Mom Central for really great ticket prices that your family can take advantage of too.

Come experience

Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic

playing Reliant Stadium with your family!

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!

Purchase a 4‐pack of ;ckets for only $44 for weekday shows

or receive $4 off weekend tickets by logging onto

http://www.ticketmaster.com/ and entering the coupon code:

MOM**

Bored in Wal-Mart? Play Bingo!

2009-10-21T10:09:00.000-05:00

Do you just hate those Wal-Mart runs?

Are you lookng for ways to make your trip just a little more interesting? Need some entertainment while you glance through endless racks of clothing and shelves of weight loss supplements. Well then I have the perfect game for you!

I mean really aren't these the strange unexplainable kinds of people you can see at any given day at this place. Last year we saw a lady who had transformed a pair of men's tidy whities into a tank top. To this day I am baffled if it was for pure necessity, or whether she was trying to make a fashion statement. So enjoy your next trip to the theme park that is Wally World, and play the game that is all the rage. Come back and tell me if you get a Bingo!

Side note....no this is not my own invention, just found it oddly humorous when it was sent to me in an email. If this offends you in any way....I suggest don't shop at Wal-Mart

And if you see the unattended crying children sorry those are my girls I wouldn't let them have the free kittens.

Real Estate drives me crazy

2009-10-20T23:39:00.000-05:00

My house is unofficially on the market. What does that mean? Well it means that we happen to know a few people who had expressed interest in our home over the year. It helps that we have a larger house in a semi-nice neighborhood: well except for the crack trailer house across the street, and the other one around the corner, and oh yeah the wandering chickens and goats that we randomly see because this town has virtually no zoning laws.

Despite all those flaws we have what is considered by some to be a relatively nice house with great country views and a privacy fence but all the amenities of the city. It has me feeling confident enough that I am scoping homes for rent in the neighboring town that has the school district I want for the girls to go to.

Basically right now I have three different families that have previously shown interest. We have quoted a price to the first one, and they are getting back to us. If that falls through we talk to the next one. What this also means, is that my efforts to fix it have slowed a bit, because we are willing to go a bit lower on the price to not make some of the required changes. Let's hope I can get this house sold with out ever really putting it on the market.

Relaxation "My Yoga 2 Go": Review and Giveaway

2009-10-20T21:53:00.000-05:00

I am a Yoga kind of girl. As high energy as I can be, I do not like high energy exercise. I like slow stretching that works your body muscles, allows for further flexibility, and gives you well-sculpted muscles. I actually love to incorporate my yoga in the swimming pool in the summer because it is a great work out, and I never have to sweat (bonus, Right!). One other wonderful thing about yoga is that it is very good for Regan. A lot of the moves we can incorporate easily into her physical therapy routines needed to address her tight muscles due to her cerebral palsy. Over the years we have noticed a marked difference in her abilities in part due to the stretching exercises we have used.

Thanks in part to the Family Review Network and My Yoga 2 Go I was allowed the opportunity to review a really neat yoga travel or at home system.

From the website:

My Yoga 2 Go offers unique, quality products that inspire practice. The My Yoga 2 Go Practice System combines the flexibility of working out at home, the versatility of a yoga class and the hands-on guidance of an experienced yoga instructor all in one yoga practice system.

The My Yoga 2 Go Practice System will help you to achieve all of your yoga fitness goals without expensive yoga classes or yoga DVD’s. And let’s face it, most of us barely have time to eat, let alone get a yoga workout in! The My Yoga 2 Go Practice System provides an excellent way to set up your own yoga routine to do at home.

If you are interested in either enhancing your current at home practice or beginning a new yoga practice in the comforts and convenience of home, anytime, anywhere, My Yoga 2 Go is for you.

My experience is that it suits my style of exercise perfectly. There is just enough beginner and intermeidate level exrecises to keep me working and challenging exercise to look forward too as my flexibility improves. There are also several exercise I look forward to adapting to my swimming routine.

For a limited time My Yoga 2 Go is being offered at a discount to anyone interested in purchasing the system for themselves. The discount code, “BLOGYOGA”, which is good for 15% off the My Yoga 2 Go Practice System when purchased at the website is active through November 15. This makes a great gift for the exercise enthusiast in your life, or as you look forward to a new you in 2010.

Deacon vs Beacon in the Southern Baptist Church

2009-10-19T16:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday evening we ventured out to see my in-laws who live a little over an hour away from us. It was a very special evening for my FIL who was being ordained as a deacon in the Baptist Church.

Now I grew up Presbyterian and currently attend a Methodist church. I have always enjoyed the sermons when I have attended Baptist services, but honestly sometimes their theology just confuses me. I don't understand a lot of their particular rules. For instance last night while I am watching a very solemn ceremony and really enjoying the music I come to the realization that all four incoming deacons are men. The 12 deacons that already exist in the church are all men.

Is there a reason for this?

I asked my husband who grew up Southern Baptist and his reply was that it just was tradition (ummm okay, but probably wrong). What is the real theory or doctrine behind this? I know I am a feminist and I raise my girls to know they will be capable of anything they set their minds too. They are not being raised as girly balls of fluff with no brains and a mind only for choosing the best eye cream and nail polish.

Of course my girls jumped right on my bandwagon in the car. They wanted to know why their grandmother was good enough to only be a sunday school teacher in that faith but not really much else. As much as I love the church and all that it stands for, I can't help but think this demeans women. If there is a biblical reason for it I really want to know so that I better understand, Anyone?????

On a side note, Rebecca was telling a friend yesterday that she was heading to her grandad's church to see him become a beacon.

I love this because he certainly is shining a light to bring others into the fold, and we can all be beacons.....just not deacons.

Rummino : Get your Head in the Game

2009-10-19T09:13:00.001-05:00

We are a game playing family. To tell you the truth it can get kind of ugly around here because we are an extrememly competitive game playing family. I have been known to chart moves in battleship and move my ships accordingly. Yeah.....it is all about the win.

Recently we had the chance to play Rummino thanks to Marina Games and Family Review Network. I am already a fan of gin rummy the card game and had taught Regan and Rebecca over the summer how to play. This made playing Rummino very easy to adapt to because it is really a fun domino version of Rummy. The object is to get the highest score at the end of the game.

Last weekend I had to work at the gym running a birthday party so the girls and two of their friends occupied themselves with their newest game of choice Rummino

Don't they look intensely into the game? They were more interested in playing several rounds than getting involved in helping me run the birthday party. I love that our family game night now has another game added in to our rotation and I know we will be playing it for years to come.

I reccomend Rummino if you enjoy card and domino type games. The game is geared to the ages eight and up crowd and can be played with a minimum of two players which is great when John Mark and I are looking for a game for just the two of us.

Tech Teach on Tuesday

2009-10-15T13:40:00.002-05:00

Well this is me on Tuesday. I spent a bit of time learning all about my new Logitech Webcam Pro 9000. I logged onto a virtual conference which was taking place in Dallas, and had the opportunity to interact with another mom blogger who was at the conference in person. She and I chatted for a while and then had an assignment to complete for Logitech. I then spent quite a bit of time contemplating how exactly to work out the rest of the details of this camera. I learned that I could do web shows using the webcam, and I can skype with my family from my desktop. I can also use an avatar...the shark one just cracks me up that will do my talking for me. This is not a bad idea, as I am looking at this photo taken with the webcam, and realize that some anti wrinkle cream would not be amiss. Overall though I learned a lot, and I am excited about my new little upgrade in technology. It is definitely not too late for this old dog to learn some new tricks.

The Queen of Mean Rules against Cell Phones

2009-10-14T13:26:00.001-05:00

I have schemers and dreamers,
I will be the first to admit it, and lately they both have tried every trick in the book to try to get their very own cell phones. Luckily I am the Queen of Mean and will not give in easily....although I have been enjoying each well thought out attempt.

Attempt by Regan: She just got her paycheck in from doing a focus group job and can not wait to spend her money. Her first want of utmost importance is a cell phone of her very own. She loves to chat and text with her good friend Robbie who she met at disability camps. She and Robbie talk endlessly about computer and playstation games, and gossip about their former campers and councelors and what they appear to be up to on Facebook updates.

The Failure of Regan: She has no continuing plan to work and maintain the finances of a cell phone. She tries to hide conversations on my phone, and random searches. A few months ago my phone had a subscription attached to "who will i marry.com" and she posted inapropriately on Facebook. She will randomly search odd things on my cell phone like a Pleasanton motorcycle accident attorney she heard about on TV. All these things she does without my expressed permission, and has a three strikes and your out rule now placed upon her. She is currently on strike two and trying to behave.

Giving this child a cell phone is a disaster waiting to happen

Attempt By Rebecca: Rebecca has a monthly paycheck from the gym due to her coaching dance classes, and her beginning to babysit on occasion. She found a phone that outright costs about 20.00 she is sure that she could maintain her own bills if we would give her the chance to get a cell phone before the determined time. She had a business plan ready to present her dad and I and had all of her pros and cons mapped out (she is pretty clever)

Failure of Rebecca: We just switched to unlimited texting in my phone and it is a good thing too. I went from 200 texts a month (In which I maybe used about 50) at some cost, and John Mark moved to unlimited, and my texts went to 1200 this month alone. WOW, that child is social. A lot of her friends live in neighboring towns and she doesn't see them on a daily basis, but several have phones. The rule is the entire conversation stays on my phone so that I can read every detail, and I erase texts....not her. The other rule is that she is not allowed to text boys first, but she can answer as long as she did not initiate the conversation.

Giving This child a phone and her social life threatens to overpower her family life.

The girls can scheme and dream to their hearts content, right now it is just not happening.

Cheerleading Stunts

2009-10-13T09:38:00.001-05:00

My Sunday afternoons have become filled with cheer....and I don't mean joy. It is competitive cheer season again and Rebecca's obsession is in full force. Every day at our house is filled with choreography, stretches, practice, and making weird faces in the mirror. This all accounts to the fact that the child eats constantly in between her boundless energy and still has not an ounce of belly fat(must be nice). Rebecca is at the top of the stunt in this video, but to be fair, has been in every position over the years. She loves being the flyer (top) best of all just for the drama and showmanship of it. I took the video to show her stunt group where they needed to improve...and as soon as I took out the camera they did their best practice yet, enjoy!

Living Virtually

2009-10-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

Today I am attending my first ever virtual conference. As excited as I am to have received a coveted invitation to an event, I also laugh that it isn't in person or anything because in today's high tech world why should it be, right?

To celebrate my first ever virtual invite I am sending you all margaritas and cigars online, virtually of course. I would not want to be really responsible for giving all my readers vices. I will be sending you some virtual money to play online poker with all real winnings going to me, and if your vices run any deeper than those offered than I want no part of it (you strange people).

Since my girls are at school and my darling at work perhaps I should create a family to attend my conference with me or maybe create virtual friends....but wait I already have those.

****Waving at readers******

Hi Friend!

Mall Tweens

2009-10-10T19:37:00.000-05:00

Today it was official.
I was no longer "cool" enough to hang out with at the mall.
I had taken Regan, Rebecca, and an extra friend of the girls to the mall today as part of my shopping list of things I needed to get done with when we made it agin to our neighboring "big town". My list included stopping by the cell phone store, running errands at the hardware store, clothes shopping for Regan, taking a look at potential christmas photo cards, and talking to several places about laptops and desktops to see what is coming available in two weeks when the next windows version comes out.

When we made it to the mall, and knew we would be there for a couple of hours, Rebecca and her friend asked immediately if they could walk about by themselves for a while, and shop with their money (i.e. the cookie company shop and aeropostale). They had the friend's cell phone and check in times, so I let them go.

It was a little sad honestly. I was no longer fun to shop with or be around. They met up with other friends that were there and had a wonderful time taking pictures in the photo booth, and walking around all the stores. I was a nervous wreck to know that four 11-12 yr old girls were unleashed on the mall and I could not watch them like hawks or even stalk them without being caught.

They managed perfectly and pronounced the afternoon a success. They checked in at the proper times and there was no fussing when it was time to leave. They behaved perfectly.... but I hate those too grown up for mom moments.

Ziploc Making Lunch Time Easier: Review and Giveaway

2009-10-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

Every day it is a mad scramble to get my girls out the door, organized, and fully packed for school. Part of our daily routine is making sure that lunch is packed qd ready to go. Lucky for me the girl's school cafeteria has microwaves for them to use. I can't tell you how much easier this makes my life. This morning the girls were loaded up with leftovers of last night's pork and rice casserole, salad, and fruit. The perfect transport for each of these items? Ziploc of course.

So what did I pack this nutritious healthy lunch in? First the casserole and the salad were placed in the Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® Containers. They are made to lock in freshness, and the lids twist on and have a leak-resistant seal—-so you don't have to worry about spills or leaks. Perfect for leftovers that need to be nuked. For snacks and sandwiches I turn to the ever useful sandwich bags. Regan's was full of Craisins this morning her newest favorite snack.

Want to test out Ziploc for yourself to see how well their products work in your household? I am thrilled that Ziploc is allowing me to run a giveaway along with my review for one box of Ziploc sandwich bags and one group of storage conatsiners like those reviewed. This is open To US residents only, and will close October 12, 2009 midnight CST.

1. First Mandatory Entry: Tell me a great use for Ziploc Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® containers.
2. 2nd entry: Become a Google Follower of my site.
3. Become a Twitter Follower of my site.
4. Stumble this Post using Stumbleupon
5. Tweet this post, and leave me a copy of the tweet in the comment.

This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and SC Johnson, who provided the item for review."

Baby Einstein World Animal Adventure Review

2009-10-07T23:54:00.000-05:00

Of course anytime I can post gratuitous pictures of my super cute niece I will, but I promise this time it has purpose. My girls (Regan and Rebecca that is) were wondering why shows like baby einstein were of any use to babies at all. I explained to my children who are now way to old to remember when these shows were important to their child development, that this was an interactive way for babies to learn about the world aorund them. Particularly for their cousin Claire to learn more about animals in the new Baby Einstein DVD World Animal Adventure.

The girls and I watched the video and were entranced with the animals from all the continents, the mixture of music from all corners of the globe played upon native instruments, and the way that culture and nature were introduced at a level that their baby cousin would love. It has gotten the seal of approval from my girls, and we can't wait until we get to see Claire to give it to her.

I recomend this to children from the ages of 1-4 yrs. Any child who loves animals and music will lose themselves in the real life videos and of course the fun puppet show which was my personal favorite. I can't wait to garner favorite aunt status with this video for my niece.

A special thank you to Mom Central and baby einstein World Animal Adventure for providing the video to review.

Substitite Teaching Giggles

2009-10-07T06:55:00.001-05:00

Today will be my third day in a row to substitute teach at my girls' school. Honestly the money is nice, but I really miss my blog and I feel like I am neglecting my work. I am runnig on "E" as I gear up for another day subbing. I know now why I was never cut out to actually teach school....just volunteer and sub from time to time. I could really use some R&R (maybe check in at destin fl hotels for a few days). Still I thought you would enjoy some of the things said to me over the last few days.

Geography Class:
student: What are cardinal directions?
me: That means the four main directions on a map North South East West
student: so nothing to do with birds at all? (while quickly erasing whatever he wrote)

Journal writing:
student: Can You buy lions at a pet shop?
me: No, that is considered an exotic wildlife and really just for zoos and wildlife preserves.
student: my grandma makes preserves all the time not with animals though.

Math:
me: 4th graders! I know your hot from P.E. but if you will sit still for a moment it will get cooler in here.
student: (mumbling to himself) still not as hot as Rebecca

ewww, were just talking about my daughter you little perv!!!!!

Smuckers Uncrustables: Review

2009-10-05T20:12:00.001-05:00

I'll be the first to admit, I had tried Smuckers Uncrustables several years ago, and personally did not care for them at all. As a 37 year old woman it was not up my alley. But the girls!!!!! Regan especially, is an Uncrustable fiend.

It actually makes a great after-school snack for me to keep at the gym. Monday-Wednesday we head straight from school to the gymnastics gym so that Regan, Rebecca, and I can be there for classes and work. Needless to say they are so hungry right after school and they both need enough energy and protein to make it through sometimes several hours of gymnastics and cheerleading.

This is where Smuckers Uncrustables (especially the new wheat bread variety) is the ideal after school snack. It is chock full of protein, fiber, and gives enough energy to last both the girls through the afternoon. Their favorite flavor is PB & Honey on Wheat variety, and they just pull them out of the freezer at the gym and defrost it for a few minutes. Then they have their tasty snack that lasts them though dinner.

Even if your not the biggest fan of them yourself (like me) it is a wonderful option for lunch or snack that is now a healthier choice in the wheat bread varieties, and your kids might just be fans like mine. A special Thank You to MOM Central who provided the product for review.

The Scenic Route Sometimes Sucks!

2009-10-04T22:10:00.000-05:00

All last night and well into the morning we have had torrential downpours. Honestly, they are welcome and badly needed in South Texas do to our continuing drought conditions. To hear all that rain and have the thunder and lightening put on a show is music to my ears. Well, that is until I learned of the flash flooding that had come with it.

You see last night Rebecca had spent the night with one of her best friends in a neighboring town. A town that is fifteen minutes from me....and normally no big deal.

Today it was a big freaking deal!

Today I spent well over an hour trying to get to the next town over, but kept getting stopped my water flowing over the road. Because we live in a rural commuity most of the highway department hadn't even gotten to all the farm to market roads that needed closing signs up.

So I left the house on route A....and seven miles out had to turn around. I took an alternate route to get to one highway (route B).... and ten miles down I had to turn around because the road is closed. Then went a back farm to market road "Route C" that leads to another highway to neighboring town and nearly ten miles down I had to turn around again (although I did brave my minivan through one very low water crossing that was as slick as a skateboard ramps). It is a good thing I really now the area because then I remembered a county road or "route D" that also detours to the highway and finally managed to make it.

Wouldn't you know it then my gas light comes on and I get a call from Rebecca wondering where the heck I am, because she was expecting me. I am so lucky that that section of highway had no water problems, and I was able to slip into a gas station at the edge of town, and then gather my child up.

On the way home we drove about 15 miles out of the way to go the dryest and safest route home.

Right now it is raining again....the girls are hoping it goes through the night and school is closed tomorrow.

Thank You God for the rain.

ConFEETi Socks by Zooni

2009-10-03T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here is my mathematical equation:

Take one super cute niece names Claire

Add a pair of Zooni's new ConFEETi Panda Monium socks

And of course you get the chicest cutie around!
Zooni has the cutest new socks they added to their already popular children's accessoires line. The new socks are called ConFEETi and come in such cute characters as Chunkee Monkee, Sock Hop, Teddy B, Tabby Toes, and Puppy Love. Each pair has a uniqe 3-D animal that seems to jump off the sock as a truly talked about look. These socks are sold as individual pairs or in boy/girl gift sets, which come in an interactive circus-themed box.

A special thank you to Parent Reviewers for the opportunity.

Texan's Pride, we are "All That".....right?

2009-10-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

A while back I was watching a reality TV show where a young man was doing his one on one interview with the camera and was talking about meeting these girls at a bar in Mexico. The gist of the conversation was he could barely tolerate them because they were obnoxious Texas girls, and never would he be caught dead with a Texas girl.

It of course got me to thinking....Why? Aren't we Wonderful? Aren't all Texans "Da Bomb"? It's because we live in the greatest state. I was raised to think this and honestly always have. But, I realized that maybe this propaganda that had been drilled into my head was possibly annoying to other residents of other ~~not so fabulous~~ locations.

Now I am beyond curious. Doesn't every state instill this kind of pride in it's residents? I have seen the I "Heart" NY t-shirts. I have traveled extensively in the United States, and just assumed everyone else made a big deal over their place as well. But, beyond New York I couldn't think of another state that I have seen the propaganda and products out their to support that passion.

Do other states spend an entire year devoted to their state history? Here in Texas 7th grade history is only about our state and how it came to be. Does Ford Motor Company target each state with commercials and slogans like we have "Ford, is the best in Texas"? Other companies often target our state pride in their commercials, and our flag is featured everywhere....almost more often than the United States Flag. When you take a tour of the state capiatl in Austin they are proud to tell you about us being our own country before we went to Statehood. That our Capital is actually taller that the one in Washington DC. That our state flag is the only one that can fly at the same level as a US flag, all other states must fly below.

See what I mean about the Propaganda. It is no wonder that when I listen to talk radio out of San Antonio in the mornings that it never fails to surprise me when they are unhappy with what is going on in Washington DC, you always have callers who reccomend succession (yes they really do).

Please satisfy my curiosity and let me know is our pride in the way, or is every state just like that?

The Shandle: Review

2009-09-30T22:16:00.001-05:00

With allergies, colds, flus and viruses already affecting my girls school they are taking measures to make sure to keep the kids as clean, healthy, and hygeneic as possible. Of course hand washing, hand sanitizer...and most of all keeping hands to yourself are of course top priority. Keeping this in mind, I was delighted when I was asked to review The Shandle because it would be perfect for the pre-K classroom as they are learning all the important rules of their classroom. One of the most integral rules of the Pre-K classroom is to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. Since I have subbed in that class already 4 times this year, it is a rule that needs a constant reminder.

With The Shandle it helps have a visual daily reminder to my darling little pre-k class that washing hands is so important. Last week I took it up to school and showed Mrs. Steinmann the teacher and we adhered it to the toilet seat. The next day she had a small talk with the class and explained how to lift the seat to the boys in class (and of course put it back down for the girls in class). She then told them what it said so they would have that visual reminder every time they went in there to use the restroom.

I wish I would have gotten pictures of Mrs. Steinmann giving her talk with those attentive darling children. She has reported back to me that all the kids are washing their hands with no problem and no need for verbal reminders so it shows that The Shandle is working.

I think they need these in daycare centers and classrooms everywhere as well as in homes to help kids learn proper hygeine while in the restroom. This is an innovative product that I can highly reccomend.

Proud to be a MomDot Gal

2009-09-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

I am always curious where my fellow mom bloggers "hang out" during their busy days. Do you have your group that you can turn to when you have blogging questions, when you need to vent, when you need some comment love on a post that is dear to you? Have you found a group of like minded people who accept you for you, flaws and all?

Many of the blogs I have on my sidebar are there for different reasons. Some of you are moms of other kids with CP, some are fellow Texas bloggers, and some of you are so funny and/or thought provoking that I can't resist your every post. As much as I love my sidebar group, it is not my support group (well ok some are). My online blogging buds can all be found at MomDot. This is an incredibly supportive group of women and men (don't let the "mom" deceive you). I know at any time day or night If I have a question or need a friend there is a whole group who are there for me.

If you are on the looking for a great support system on your blogging and personal journey, then come by stop and get to know us. I would love to see you there.

Baby Teeth....Make Great Keepsakes?

2009-09-30T13:07:00.004-05:00

Not long ago I was at a friend's house when I was introduced to a jar of her children's baby teeth. I have to admit I at first thought she was kidding. Then I discovered, that I was the odd one for just considering baby teeth only trash can worthy. I do have both of the girl's first locks of hair. I have beautiful scrapbooks of their infancy, I am always on the lookout for chronicling every Kodak moment....but baby teeth, it never occured to me.

So, I took an informal survey of several of my friends. A few ladies kept first teeth only, some threw them all away, and then a few kept every single one. One friend even told me about having them in the baby album placed in order of where they belong in the mouth and what date they were lost on, yeah that not a little ~~psycho~~ troubling. Hmmm, so will my children one day need therapy because I didn't scrapbook their baby teeth?

Apparently, historically saving baby teeth is a timeless tradition, and in the Victorian Age, really devoted mothers could even have jewelry made from them.....no kidding!!!!

Yes you see those little teeth used to belong on some child in the late 1800's, and now they can adorn your ears. Now, I love jewelry, but this is postively gothic, and completely not my style....but I bet my friend might be looking for something to do with her jar of teeth...hmmmm, Christmas?

Prima Princessa: The Nutcracker

2009-09-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

Dancing is a part of life at our house. For the last two years Rebecca has had an after school job as a dance asistant at the gym where I work at. She helps every Monday coaching three classes of 3, 4, and 5 year olds. It is one of her favorite things to do teaching and mentoring young girls and their love of ballet and tap. Since Rebecca has become interested in dance she, more than anything, wants to learn the correct moves and configure choreography for the Christmas recital. Her latest and greatest tool being Prima Princessa.

We already own the DVD for Prima Princessa presents Swan Lake, and now we have the newest Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker. My girls have seen several performances of this magnificent ballet. It is really nice to have a DVD that breaks down the steps to their basic form for young girls. It is even better at our house becaus Rebecca is learning coorect form and moves so that she can help reteach at her dance classes on Mondays.

The Nutcracker is designed by the mom-preneur team of Stephanie and Mary Kate who are dedicated to bringing the beauty and magic of ballet into the lives of children everywhere. The 40 minute show joins Prima Princessa as she takes a holiday adventure filled with snow fairies, toy soldiers and sweets abundant, Performed by the esteemed San Fransisco Ballet children can get up and learn real ballet steps from actual students at the School of American Ballet in New York City.

This is a wonderful gift for the dancer in your life. With the upcoming holiday season approaching this would be a great way to introduce the magic of ballet to your yong one. It is geared to the ages of 3-6, and of course 11 yr old girls who want to learn choreography. I think that Prima Princessa and Rebecca make a great team as she ventures forth from the smallest of plies to the grandest of jetes.

Regan at Work

2009-09-27T00:11:00.001-05:00

My computer has found a new owner over the weekend. Regan is so very excited that she has been asked by a focus group to take on a four day job. She is doing several assignments for a company and is going to be well compensated for her time. She is so happy feeling like her opinion matters to a big company. She is taking each assignment seriously and has spent a great deal of time making sure her answers are just right.

And of course most importantly she is spending the money before she has even finished the work. As much as I am happy that Regan is getting a taste of work and responsibility the fact is she is terrible with any amount of money. She hates the thought of saving a dime of it. In this case she has planned on several items that her money could be well spent on.

For instance she thinks it will buy her a laptop. I have assured her that not only will she not be making enough to purchase a new laptop computer....she certainly would not be able to afford Internet on top of that. What good would it be to have the bare basics and not much else.

Next she would like to buy herself a cell phone. Well now she will be making enough for a cell phone, but in no way could she afford a plan to go with it. I reminded her that a cell phone that only works for a month is not really worth it, and having the phone alone will do nothing.

She also thought that she would like her own itouch. Which again is not really in the price range of what she will be receiving....but then someone suggested we could look at the refurbished ones for sale at the apple store, and maybe get a good deal.

To this I have to say:

"Quit helping People"!!!!!!!!

How about teaching Regan to save up for something she really wants. Let's teach her to spend just a bit, and how much better it is to save and invest in your future. If she isn't taught moderation and basic financial skills, how is she going to learn to function later in life. My darling Regan is developing for herself a very technology rich future....but she wont be able to afford to keep them going. Luckily we have a month before payday is expected and I am hoping by then sense and reason will reign supreme.

But she is 13 and who do I think I am kidding?

AAAAAAK!!! I hate BUGS!

2009-09-26T17:31:00.003-05:00

Let me preface this by saying Thank the Lord above that we have had rain this last week, and we are expecting it to rain most of this weekend too. The after effects of having it so dry on south Texas drought country makes me question my desire for rain. First of all the crickets everywhere are disgusting. I don't mean just a few...I mean like thousands and thousands. In fact it made the front page of the local paper the crickets swarming downtown getting into every office. My girls school smells like dead crickets because although the bugs have no odor while alive...they stick to high heaven when they are dead.

Secondly the mosquitoes are every where. Now one of the things I love about my house is that we are nowhere near standing water for these blood suckers to breed. Our little honeymoon house (AKA the closet sized crack house) was across the street from the town drainage ditch. I pretty much bathed in bug spray on a daily basis the four years we lived there. All of a sudden we are having a massive mosquito outbreak at my current house, and I can't figure out where they are breeding from. we have no backyard water scape with pond filters. We have no neighbors with anything like that. We do have a neighbor with a swimming pool, but mosquitoes do not breed in chlorine. No idea how they got in my house and bitten us up.

Finally we have the flies. Now flies are not on their own terrible, but they are annoying. My flyswatter is in use all the time, and we are in the midst of fall when all these bugs should have moved on or become dormant by now. As we move into another week of potential downpours all I can say is I HATE BUGS!!!!!!!!

Mum's the word at Homecoming

2009-09-25T10:25:00.005-05:00

It is homecoming week in our small town and my social child Rebecca had planned a whirlwind week of activity. Now the policy at our house is that as long as Rebecca is well behaved at home and school and maintains her straight "A" average, then we will do our best to accommodate her social calendar (yes I know....she is just 11). It is our way of preemptive parenting. We know what means most to her in the world, being around people, and the thought of having any of that taken away is usually the perfect incentive for her to toe the line. The few times she gets in trouble and she is stripped of social engagements then she fixes the behavior that got her into that predicament. In other words I know what she will work hard for and I hold it over her head.

With it being Homecoming week, we were already scheduled to be in the parade on Monday night. Thursday she wanted to go to the junior high game, and Friday night the Varsity game. Most importantly (in her mind) was the piece de resistance....the mum. She had gone last week to a neighboring town's homecoming and was so coveting the beautiful flowers with the ribbons and accessories trailing down to your knees. She had also convinced some of her best friends that they must also have these if they even were going to show up to the game otherwise (I was informed) they would be "losers".

John Mark put out the expectations for the girls to each get a mum. For Regan it was to keep her temper in check this week. For Rebecca she had to organize her closet which currently looked like this: Well with the terms settled and agreed upon by all parties concerned. John Mark went down to the local florist and ordered both the girls this epitome of social status. Last night before heading off the the junior high game my friend Audra and I snapped pics of the girls all getting ready for their big night out. Here are my cuties all primed and ready for the ~~social~~ football game.
Here is Rebecca with four of her best friends. Who had planned the perfect outfits (I know who would have thought that was jeans and tshirts), the perfect hairstyles...which again I am shocked really consisted of the same ponytails and throw-up styles they do every day. Then with just a touch of make-up they were ready to rock the stadium. Yes I realize Rebecca is awfully short compared to all of her friends..... she was even trying to stand on her toes to even out the heights.

The Mom of Ow-ee Girl and Becca

2009-09-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

In the last few weeks I have done a lot of substitute teaching at the school. This is partly to blame for all my random posting and being inconsistant (note again I said partly). This week I was once again with the darling Pre-K group. This year I have been with them about four times and it is a completely precious group of children. They love to hug and cuddle. They love that my last name is a color they are learning. They also love my girls....but could not understand that they were both my children. It was not a concept that would translate.

Honestly my girls have very little in common apart that I personally remember vividly giving birth to each of them. Most people would not put them together as sisters. They do not resemble each other in looks, style, ability, socially, or any other way you can think of. One of the things they both do have in common is a genuine love for children younger than them.

Rebecca is much loved by all the little kids. Many of the girls she has helped teach at the gym in dance class. She is quick to learn their names and talk with each one. Rebecca is a pretty child, and often the little boys develop big crushes on her and follow her around with dreamy looks on their little faces. Needless to say all the little kids love their "Becca".

Regan is treated with much respect at school. She is always friendly, but I think her walker (and for the moment her wheelchair) keep young children at a distance. They like her a lot and tell her hi when she goes by, but always at a distance just to be safe. Regan loves all the little kids too and it is hard for her to understand why Rebecca is always given hugs and has kids hanging off of her...and she does not.

Yesterday when once again I was ensconced in the Pre-K class one of the little boys said "I saw you last night at the parade and pep rally". This week is homecoming in our small town. He continued on, "You were only with the girl with 'ow-ees' though, not Becca".

"Honey, do you mean you saw me with Regan?"

"Yup the girl with ow-ees in the wheelchair."

Well it gave me a great opportunity to talk about Regan and her current wheelchair state (reminds me I still need insurance quotes), and ask the kids if they had any questions about her. A little while later when Regan wheeled by us on the ramp coming back from lunch all the Pre-K told her hi and called her by name. I think they are one step closer to closing the distance. Sometimes just getting to know about someone and having them be a little more real makes all the difference.

Don't even Think about calling me Chrissy

2009-09-23T08:23:00.004-05:00

Isn't it funny how names define us. We basically become wrapped up in a name that our mothers gave us on a whim. My mother chose to name me Christine Elisabeth. If I had been born a boy I would have been Christopher (not sure about middle name) and there was not going to be any shortening of that name or affectionate nickname to coincide with it. Of course like all young girls I went through a phase where I hated my name. I really wanted to have been named Cherie (with the french pronunciation) it sounded exotic and mysterious to my young ears.

In reality though Christine is a name that really suits me well. It is a strong intelligent name that means "follower of Christ", and I have learned to love it and embrace it with all of it's "Christine-ness". I could never (shudder) tolerate a nickname.

For Example, I could never be a Chrissy or Christie although nicknames have been attempted...and probably because I tend to have a bubbly personality they could have potentially stuck. I was having none of that. The only time in life I allowed myself a nickname was high school and that was really just because all nine letters in my name did not fit on my cheer uniform or megaphone.....so for a bit there I was Cris (it puts in my head a cubicle junkie finding a health insurance lead). It was a strong derivative still with an intelligent air and I tolerated it although very few people actually called me by that nickname. In fact the only time I remember it even coming up is when I dated a guy in high school briefly named Chris, and then of course linking the two names was sort of a joke.

As far as shortening my name there is one that just drives me insane. The name Chrissy bugs me in particular for two reasons and I do want to say I am sorry to any Chrissy's out there who might get offended reading this post..

It reminds me of Suzanne Somers of "Three's Company" which I watched growing up. The idea of being that dumb went against everything I was raised to be. I did not want to be cast in that light. Although the name suited her character perfectly
My Grandpa who had a bad habit of putting down everyone (but in a jovial manner so that he can call it a joke when you call him on it). He thought the nickname was perfect to match my boy crazy social life. To me he might as well be calling me a tramp every time he tried to get the nickname to stick. I finally put my foot down and refused to talk to him unless he called me by Christine

It is amazing to me how we grow and shape a name to become an integral part of who we are. I now can't imagine myself being anything but a Christine. Am I the only one with identifies so strongly when it comes to names? Do you feel that your name suits you?

Down to the last Grains of Sand

2009-09-21T09:04:00.002-05:00

Regan is an 8th grader this year.
This means quite a few things for us, but primarily this is her last year at her beloved rural school. The little country school my girls go to only goes through 8th grade. The final year the students are preparing to head to the local high schools in the area. The great part is there is a wonderful selection. Within 5-15 miles in any direction there are five high schools to choose from (two Catholic and three public). You would think this would be wonderful to be faced with so many choices, but the truth is with Regan there really are other things that we have to use in determining her destination.

With her cerebral palsy affecting her physically it is important to look at handicapped accessibility. Yes all schools in Texas must be to some degree, but two of the choices are from such old buildings that I don't think they have changed so much as their furnace filters in the last fifty years. Those would be the Catholic schools which not only are painfully not really accessible, but will also not have the services such as PT, OT, RT, and special education prompts in place that we would need. That knocks two schools off the list.

Our local school that my girls have not attended due to the fact that I find our home district unsafe and not as educationally challenging is my last resort option. It is the largest of the local public schools. We have friends who work at the school in the classroom, administration, and through the school board. I know she could be looked after but it is also much larger than we are used to and it is imperative that she get her individual attention and a personalized game plan. Coupled with the fact that drugs, violence, and gang activity have seemingly rocked out small town....I have labeled our local school a last resort (and would even consider homeschooling over sending her there).

That leaves the final two choices for a public school. One I really love in a smaller town 10 miles south of us. The school district is exemplary, it is small in class size (about 60-80 kids per grade), and has a brand new high school built in the last five years completely up to code. It is my dream school for Regan. The problem then lies in the fact that will not take any transfers from out of town. You must live within the school district to attend the school. Yes, I have every intention of putting my house on the market, but my deadlines are quickly approaching and I am behind.

It feels like the hourglass is on its last ounce of sand, and we have decisions to make.

I wish the Screen was Scratch and Sniff

2009-09-19T23:53:00.003-05:00

Earlier today my house was filled with the smell of grilled burgers. Then the girls made cupcakes and we had a sinfully sweet odor drifting through the house. Now everyone is settling down and I am ready for a non food calming scent to waft through the air.

So with the kitchen cleaned up and the kids out of the way, I switched on my new Febreze Home Collections Green Tea Citrus scent. I love clean scents. It isn't that I don't appreciate the smells of food, but after I have eaten, I really don't like the smell to linger. I would prefer to relax to a clean citrusy scent that I can place on my kitchen counter and forget about.

It looks kind of like a candle in the picture. It gives off a warm glow and a subtle scent that slowly infuses the space and my mood. So I can quietly relax on the sofa, pop open my book and settle down myself. Thank you Febreze for sending me yet another item from your collection that helps further my addiction to your line (as if sniffing my carpets, drapes, and sofa weren't bad enough).

Character Flaw #1: High Energy

2009-09-18T21:46:00.005-05:00

I know that by any means I am not all that I can be. There are plenty of faults I have and I admit too. What I have a hard time with is is deciding if a character trait is a flaw or just part of the unique make up of me, and if it is a flaw....should I try and fix it? Would it better my life at all? So here I go into one of my character flaws that I am criticized for.

"Christine is high energy"

ummmmmmm Yes,
Yes I am.

I am sometimes energizer bunny high energy. I bounce, flit, and move quickly from one thing to another. I find it hard to focus and easily bore. I like new and different and embrace everything life throws out at me with a lot of energy. I am still the bouncy high school cheerleader that is in a great mood, and greets everyone that way.

It is a character trait that I recognize as not everyone's cup of tea. It can be difficult sometimes to be around someone who is high energy if you are not that kind of person. So I decided that I would point out the bad and good of this flaw to see if it is something I should work on or leave alone and the hell with what anyone else thinks.

The Good:

My girls do not tire me out easily, neither do the kids at school, or my darlings I coach at the gym. In fact I love kids and love them high energy and free spirited. I love the challenge of kids who others find difficult.
I am a willing party to almost anything. Need a car buddy for a road trip...I am your gal, someone who wants to shop at 3am on Black Friday...call me. Want me to drop everything and come to your house to help with a project...I am there in five mnutes.
I am always flexible and adaptable probably because I bore so easily.
Luckily I married a pretty high energy guy. He is not a still person either, and would rather be outside golfing or cooking at all times.
I am always up for a party and being social. In fact I'll host let me know when.
Need a friend at midnight or at 7am call me, I don't sleep a lot, and chances are I am available.

The Bad:

When I am on vacation with friends I have worn them out. In fact my last trip to Disney Rebecca said some of the other parents were complaining.
Some parents don't like to send their kids to my house because then they always want to come here, and one mother mentioned it is hard to compete with all that I have going on.
It is hard for me to focus on things to long, so if you want a conversation with me to last more than ten minutes....you probably need me seatbelted in and on the road. Chances are I will change the conversation anyway.
I always have something going on, and juggling several projects, books, ideas, etc. People have stopped asking because it tires them out to hear all that is going on.
Good friends are few and far between, because it is can honestly be hard to keep up. The great friends I have are wonderful, but as I mature I think most people have expected me to mellow more than I have.
As the girls have gotten older they have noticed that I do not behave and do like most of their friends mothers. It does not matter if their friends like coming over and getting involved in my latest project...the girls have asked that I tone it down a bit and be just a little more normal.

There you have it.

I am a 37 year old High Energy gal. Do you know people like me? Do people who resemble Rachel Ray in persona irritate the crap out of you? It's okay I am looking at serious character analysis and trying to decide if taking it down a decible or so would be a good thing, or do you think like a good cheese I will mellow more with age?

Weigh in I am curious and open

Big Daddy EZ Lasso Review

2009-09-16T10:20:00.005-05:00

Trick Roping
I can honestly say it is not something I would have ever though Rebecca would be interested in. Her summer camp offers trick roping as one of it's classes and you could have knocked me over with a feather when this picture came up on the camp website. There she was pure joy with a lasso. It is one of the activities she still talks about how fun it really is when you learn.

When I talked to the people at Monkey Business Sports it was with great excitement that I could bring part of the joy of summer camp home to Rebecca. They sent us The Big Daddy EZ Lasso to try out. It comes complete with the rope and an instructional DVD. I am excited to tell you that it was a great surprise for her and a really fun activity we have enjoyed.

The DVD leads you through how to get started with the basic twisting of your wrist. Then the first beginning Trick of switching hands while spinning. The tricks get more advanced as you learn and advance through the DVD. It is easy to understand and follow. We had no problems getting through the instructions.

Rebecca claimed to not need the DVD at first and was back to twirling the lasso right away, but she did want to learn the "Merry-Go-Round" trick and we popped in the DVD for instruction. Even Regan wanted to get in on the action , but I am afraid trick roping is one of those fine motor skills that do not come easy for her with her cerebral palsy.

I recommend this toy and DVD for any child six and up (and I do mean on up because Rebecca is 11 and had a blast). It is a perfect starter for any little cowgirl or cowboy. It would also be a great compliment to any cowboy/cowgirl Halloween costume to entertain the crowd and garner treats with your tricks.

Zhu Zhu pets: Commercial Retake

2009-09-14T11:50:00.002-05:00

The girls have been on a commercial kick lately and this weekend wrote their own for Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters. We recently had a party with these adorable little pseudo pets and it is now required when you come to my house to bring your hamster along for play. Honestly I am glad to have found a pet in the meantime to distract from the dog conversations. If you haven't seen these adorable toys they are a lot of fun and have kept us entertained for hours.

Sentimental Sunday

2009-09-13T23:00:00.003-05:00

This afternoon my good friend Cheryl and I were discussing junior high romance. Both of us have girls this age, but different opinions on the subject. I look back upon my junior high days and remember being so excited when a boy asked you to "go with him" as the phrasing went in the '80's. I remember my heart skipping a beat and thinking about seeing them at the Friday night football games with a large group of all your friends. Passing the random notes between classes, and maybe a quick shy and embarrassed phone call (with the voices of your brother and sister in the back ground squealing about a boy in need of an acne treatment calling the house).

That isn't to say I don't remember the bad times too. The boy who broke up before valentines and gave the carnation meant for you to another girl. The boy who really just wanted to find someone to "make out" with and then broke up when he found out you aren't that kind of girl. These to me are hard lessons but worthy of learning. To test the waters a bit to understand what relationships are about at all types of levels even the most immature. It is a foundation and stepping stone for future relationships. In my mind to know your heart you have to use it and learn from it.

Cheryl has a completely different idea. She prefers her daughter to remain on the sidelines of teen romance scene and not share her heart at all. To keep it pure and intact for when the right one comes her way. She says a piece of your heart gets torn away with each relationship you try. A fine and noble concept that I completely admire. I know her daughter has watched and learned by avoiding the pitfalls of her lovelorn classmates. She has figured out that the guys around her are not right for her. It has worked for her daughter to some degree but in my opinion it is not a route you learn or grow from.

I don't think either of us is right or wrong, just very different opinions. I don't think I would be able to love my husband as much as I do If I had not learned some of my lessons the hard way. As I guide my girls through their own junior high romances I wonder if I am dong the right thing by allowing them to test the waters with these beginner relationships, or if indeed I am not leaving their hearts pure for their one true love. I am curious to what others remember about this age are there good lessons to be learned, or just lessons to be avoided?

Pirate's Booty: A Snack Review

2009-09-12T16:07:00.005-05:00

I had planned all these cute pictures of my girls enjoying snacking on their Pirate's Booty. I had thought it would be fun to interview them about how much they liked them in their school lunch boxes, and as an after school snack at the gym. We received this cute little treasure box filled with several flavors of Pirate's Booty to review from the Roberts Gourmet Snack company. Although this is already a product we know and love. Unfortunately it was not the way I planned it to go originally.

Confession Time:

The girls only got to have one bag of each flavor, because John Mark and I ate the rest. I kid you not!!! I guess I could have posted pictures of me with my cheeks stuffed full of Bermuda Onion Flavor. Maybe you would have enjoyed me timing John Mark on how fast he can scarf down a bag of the barbecued ones. If there were an Olympic contest on how fast can you down ~~five snack size~~ a bag of Pirate's Booty then you would see some major gold at my house.

Yes we love the stuff, and I promise my girls do really enjoy them as lunchtime snacks and after school goodies. It is a treat we have been eating for a few years now. My sister usually always has a bag at her house for us to snack on too. The great thing about these is that it is a healthy alternative to chips. Pirate's Booty are baked, all natural, and gluten free which is a huge plus to some of my friends who find it difficult to snack and don't have a lot of choices.

Goofy Girls Stair Sledding

2009-09-11T22:43:00.002-05:00

Rebecca and her friends were playing with my video camera at a friend's house. Yes, she is the one who trips and falls. This video cracks us up all the time, and I thought it was time to share, Enjoy!

Pet Wars

2009-09-10T14:47:00.004-05:00

We are a petless home. Well, except for the carnival prize goldfish that lasted two days (but still illicited tears and a funeral). It wasn't our intention to have no pets at all, in fact we all really like the idea of having a pet, but there are a few things standing in our way.

First of all Regan has a fear of all animals she does not know. That being said, there are a few she has warmed up to over time and that has prompted us to consider actually getting one. I would love to get her a dog known for being gentle and disability friendly, and I think it would be a great companion for her and our whole family.

Secondly, I really need to move so there is no reason to have a pet in a house you don't intend to live in for much longer. Trying to deal with a pet and pet hair when I have enough to do at the moment is just not realistic.

Thirdly, what kind of pet can we all agree on. I would personally like a cat, because I love how independent in nature they are, and how fun their personalities can be. John Mark and I had a cat when we got married, and I just loved that prissy thing. We had to get rid of him when we brought Regan home from the hospital, first because it was angry with being neglected and peed everywhere, and secondly it thought Regan's oxygen tubes were a chew toy. So it was out the door within a week of Regan coming home, but since I had a baby at home to deal with the loss of the cat did not affect me that much. ***On a side note Rebecca was trying to encourage a stray cat last week who was on our back patio one evening. She put out some grilled shrimp we had eaten earlier in a bowl, and left the outdoor lights
on. I am pretty sure it was not used to people, and took off.

The last problem we have is that if we decide on a dog we have very different ideas of what kind of dog to get. My parents and brother have golden retrievers, and I love those dogs. They are wonderful sweethearts and even Regan works well with them. The girls and I are huge fans of Golden's. John Mark wants more of a manly guard dog. He like rottweilers, dobermans, and German shepherds...all of which seem very scary to me. I know it depends on the individual personality of the dog, but they just don't have that warm feel I would want in a family pet.

Luckily we are not deciding on a pet today, but it is becoming part of the daily conversation here, as the girls are anxious to know what kind of pet we can get when we move. Want to throw in your two cents, I would be happy to hear all opinions.

Overcoming School Anxiety: Book Review

2009-09-10T11:15:00.003-05:00

"This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Overcoming School Anxiety and it's publisher, who supplied the book for review."

This year with both of my girl's in junior high, they were apprehensive for different reason. Regan really wanted to end her years at school on a high note. She has not always been the most successful student. She has displayed her temper on several occasions, and not been considered a model leader. She so badly wants to finish her eighth grade year as someone to look up to, and have the grades that will help her be successful in high school. With her disability she faces every year with a batch of new children that she has to get to know, and explain "why she walks in a walker", and "why she has braces on her legs". Coupled with her being a true teen with all kinds of anger issues it is no wonder she was worried with how school was going to go this year.

Just in time for school I read Diane Peters Mayer's book Overcoming School Anxiety. The book addresses being different in school and how to handle it. Regan is the only physically disabled child in her whole school district, so she tends to stand out no matter what. Most of the time she handles it all with grace and poise, but when she is nervous or angry then everything goes right out the window. She and I practiced some of the stress management skills talked about in the book, and we had a discussion about her limitations and her strengths that helped her face the first days with confidence.

We are now in the third week of school, and so far things have been smooth as far as her grades and expectations of her peers and teachers. She is happy that everything has been going so well, and is hoping that for the first time she will be included in the student leadership program at school. I think with the skills we have armed her with and the help I got from the book she will have a terrific year.

The Diorama Mama

2009-09-08T15:50:00.003-05:00

Diorama....
I just love that word. It just fills me with joy as I envision shoe boxes filled with creativity and a child's point of view. I am not sure why I have this obsession with dioramas. I assume it goes back to middle school book reports and getting to recreate a scene with how I saw it in my imagination. Any time I can find an excuse to get kids involved in this activity I will.

Last year I had my 1st-4th grade GT (gifted and talented) group make ecological habitats that contained at least seven items in nature found in that particular environment. That way when they went back to their classrooms and took them for show and tell, their classmates had the challenge of identifying the seven things.

This year I am starting the year off with my 5th-8th grade group learning about the Roman Empire. I knew I wanted to incorporate shoebox dioramas right from the start to see how creative they could get. The first assignment is to capture a typical day in the life during the Roman Empire. Rebecca is choosing to do a festival box. Some of the other children are showcasing things like a market, a wedding, fishing, inside the Colosseum, etc.

I think I am going to do a box along with them. Should I showcase the orgies? The vomitorium? The virgin priestesses? The slave market?

Well of course not! It is middle school and junior high kids after all. They have years before true history has to be known, right now we will stick with the generic white bread versions we all know.

Okay well maybe just a little animal sacrificial alter (maybe they won't notice).
Am I the only one who is a diorama mama?

I hope your Labor "day" goes smoothly

2009-09-07T05:15:00.000-05:00

Football Season and the Family Television

2009-09-06T08:33:00.005-05:00

"Guess what today is?" John Mark announced yesterday as he came bouncing in. I know it is odd to have a husband that bounces, but honestly if you knew him and all of his boundless energy it would come as no surprise. "It's College Game Day!"...he did not even wait for a response from any of us just continues his dancing around in his own world. He dreams of the day of a wall of LCD tvs to enjoy games from every channel in one spot.

The girls and I just watched him for a moment, and then proceeded to go back to our own projects. It is hard to get excited about something you really don't care that much about. It isn't that I don't enjoy football. I just like it as a real life spectator sport. I like the energy of being around a crowd of people who are cheering for their team. I love the social aspect of chatting with friends. I like to watch the sport in real action...and of course I love the cheerleaders because it is familiar and what I used to do.

Watching on TV, I could pretty much do without. I don't mind the Dallas Cowboys because I am interested in how they do, and of course they have the best cheerleaders (Have you seen their show). My girls pretty much feel the same way. Regan would rather be watching anything but sports and Rebecca would rather be doing something other than mindlessly watching television.

Rebecca was the first to break it to her dad that the we had plans for the living room TV. We were doing a Wii challenge since we have a game system on loan to us for the moment. We also had plans to watch Mama Mia later on TIVO.

John Mark looked flabbergasted. Why would we want to play games and watch a musical over football? His shoulders dropped and the bounce disappeared as he headed to the back of the house to enjoy his beloved football in the quiet of the bedroom. Poor guy to have no one on his side once again.

Disappointed in the Broken Bounce Dryer Bar

2009-09-05T18:19:00.004-05:00

***This product was not sent to me by the Bounce company and it is not in conjunction with an organized review. These are purely my own findings.

Last week I had a coupon to purchase the new Bounce Dryer Bar. I am a big fan of their dryer sheets, and I have always loved the smell of my laundry when I use them. It actually took me a while to track down the bar because it isn't available yet at most of the places I shop (HEB, Dollar General) in my small town. Then we were in the city last week, and I was able to use my coupon. It was worth it to buy the bar at a big discount.

I read the directions and peeled off the paper backing to affix it to inside of my dryer on the smooth panel according to directions. It has worked well through approximately eight loads. I love how my clothes have smelled coming out of the dryer...I swear it is like a drug, I can't wait to have a fresh t-shirt under my nose as soon as my dryer cycle is done. Then today I emptied my dryer, and it came out with the clothes.

Broken
No longer stuck to the side (the adhesive did not work) and looking really sad with lint stuck to it.

First of all I am really disappointed that this did not work like it is designed to. Secondly, I am contemplating keeping the chunks and throwing them in my dryer anyway because they make my clothes smell so good. I hate it when a product doesn't work out like you hoped.

Anyone else having problems with the Bounce Dryer Bar?

This Week in Reflection

2009-09-04T18:47:00.005-05:00

This week I was so determined to be more consistent now that summer is over, but I ended up being at my girls school every day but Wednesday this week. Hence, that day all of a sudden got two posts, and everything else seems lacking. I am hoping this weekend to catch back up on my work, but in the meantime enjoy my fun week as I re-cap.

Regan is still in her wheel chair after getting scraped up on the track last week because the scabs reopen on her knees when she is to active in her walker. It is frustrating to me that she is inactive right now....she on the other hand loves being lazy.
Rebecca's friend that all the drama was with of course called to apologize and she had really meant to play what she thought was a funny joke. She has been grounded for many weeks, and had all online and media social interaction taken away until further notice by her parents. They are friends again though (isn't it funny how that happens).
I subbed as a teacher's aide this week for three days and found out four year old boys will point at my chest and yell "boobies" and then laugh hysterically. It really is helping me understand my husband more
I have been at school so much that I feel like maybe I should pack up a few cardboard moving boxes and take over the storage space. Hook me up with a laptop that is not connected to the school satellite (no blogging or social sites can be accessed through school site) and I am good to camp out for a while.
Monday and Tuesday I am back with the school gifted and talented program. The 1-4th graders are working on a theme of American Indians, and the 5-8th graders the Roman empire. It came as no surprise when we brainstormed ideas that the boys all want to build war machines and gadgets, and the girls all want to research fashion and social lives of the Romans.
Thanks to the invaluable help of my friend Shannon who you can find at mylastshredsofsanity.blogspot.com . Now if you click on my links (except one I am still working with)...they all connect to something. She also helped me clean up my tabs, and was so very patient with me. Click on a link and check for yourself!!!!

Look for several more posts over the weekend...and all links working. I am starting to get through my goals just like I wanted to.

Junior High and the Start of Drama Season

2009-09-02T11:14:00.005-05:00

Well a new school year has started and with the advent of football/volleyball and fall, comes the most important season to Junior High Girls....Drama Season. It breaks my heart that girls everywhere have to go through this very trying time of growth and development. The maturing difficulties, gossip, bullying, and just plain mean.

Last year Rebecca had some very hard lessons to learn about being on the other side of the table and what it meant when a "mean girl" gets rehabilitated. This year she starts off being a recipient, and learning a new lesson.

She has liked a boy from a neighboring town for a few months now. She has seen him sometimes at the home of mutual friends, and then last Friday at a football game. They have talked a bit and she thought that over the next few months maybe he would ask her to be his girlfriend. Imagine her excitement on Monday then when he texted her on my telephone that he liked her and would love to have her as his girlfriend.

She was so excited!
She couldn't wait to share the news with all of her best friends who are her support system. Many of them who knew that she had a crush on him. She spent the evening, and the next day calling and telling her friends from school. She also tried to get ahold of on her best friends "C" from the boy's town to let her know.

Yesterday at the gym when her "C" came in for class Rebecca nearly tackled her in excitement to let her know....but "C" brought with her the news that the young man had changed his mind, and did not want to do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing after all. Well Rebecca was disappointed but an hour later she was ready to move on and didn't give it to much thought.

"C" left the gym to head home for the evening and then texted Rebecca on my phone a little while later with a confession. It had been her all along, pretending to be the boy Rebecca liked the day before. She had thought it would be a funny prank to play, and that she was sorry.

Now Rebecca is angry because one of her best friends played such a mean trick on her. She is embarrassed that she told so many people and now has to go back and correct the situation. She is worried the young man will find out, and never want anything to do with her again. She is heartbroken because the trust that she thought she had in a loyal friend was not really there.

This morning I called the girl's mother to tell her about the situation and she is handling it. I am sad that a joke went bad at the expense of my child, but I understand the lessons that have to be learned with it. Rebecca learned to not trust blindly things that come from text/Internet. She learned that her friends make bad choices, just like she has made in the past. She has learned that friendship and trust are treasures to not be abused. She has learned not every joke or prank is funny especially if you are the victim.

What lessons did you come away with in Junior High?

Lysol Review and Giveaway

2009-09-02T09:53:00.002-05:00

I am not usually nervous about Cold and Flu season, the reason being as that as a rule we are really a healthy family. We are rarely sick, maybe the random child with a cold and slight fever once a year, but nothing unmanageable. This year though I must admit to being a little more apprehensive.

A neighboring community has an outbreak of Swine flu at the school, and it has made me step back and make sure I am taking better precautions. Including sanitizing and disinfecting the girls things. We interact with a lot of kids from neighboring communites when we are at the gym in the evenings for gymnastics and cheer. I have to be more careful to wash hands more, and have hand sanitizer in my purse for in between times. I was fortunate that the nice people at Lysol sent me disinfecting spray, and wipes to make my job much easier.

The Lysol brand has teamed up with Dr. Laura Jana, a pediatrician, mother of three school aged-children and owner of an educational daycare center. She would like to share her back to school checklist with moms to help them prepare their children for a healthy and happy school year. Her tips include:

The Health administration is predicting a very serious cold and flu season, so teach your children about healthy hygiene habits before they go back to school and get exposed to classroom germs, like MRSA or H1N1 virus. Check out the new educational Web Site for kids, developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at www.oopkids.com. This kid-friendly Web site is designed to educate children about healthy hygiene habits and safety routines.

– This Web site is an expansion from an existing health campaign with the CDC – Ounce of prevention.

Send school germs packing by encouraging your children to drop their book bags, take off their shoes and leave their coats at the door when they walk in. Send them straight to the sink to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds (long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice!) while you spray their bags with Lysol Disinfectant Spray to help kill bacteria they may have picked up from the school bus, the playground or the classroom.

– Lysol Disinfectant Spray effectively kills 99.9% of bacteria on soft surfaces, including the family couch! (Press release available upon request)

– For more information, check out the Lysol Back to School Information Center at send germs packing

GIVEAWAY: In order to help my readers’ homes and families stay healthy this school year, Lysol has generously offered two readers the chance to win a 12.5 oz Lysol Disinfectant Spray and two 40 ct. canisters of Lysol Disinfecting Wipes – one for home and one to send to the classroom! This giveaway open to United States residents only. It will close at 12:00 pm CST on September 10, 2009. If you enter Anonymously please leave your email address to get in touch with you.

Enter Now
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Texas Instruments TI-Nspire Review

2009-08-30T22:34:00.004-05:00

**This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Texas Instruments, who supplied the product for review.**

Not everyone is built to be math-oriented. In fact for some of us it is really difficult. Take Regan for example, this has been a constant struggle for us for years. The hardest part for her with her cerebral palsy is that it is so difficult for her to write out math problems so that the numbers align perfectly. Forget about graphing and fractions, it is not something her fine motor skills can do. For the last few years when taking the state mandated TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)Test the school district has gotten her special permission to use a calculator on the exam specifically to help her align the numbers properly. As math has gotten more difficult and moved into higher level algebra and formulas, I have been looking for a calculator to grow with her.

The TI-Nspire is a wonderful calculator for Regan to finish junior high and grow with in high school. In fact it is so impressive and can do so much that it came complete with it's own "TI-Nspire for Dummies" book as well as its' instruction manual. This year Regan will branch out into graphing and algebraic equations and a calculator that she can use and manipulate to help her understand is a dream come true for us. Here are a few more things from the website that impressed me:
Some unique features of TI-Nspire technology let you:

-View multiple representations of a problem on a single screen
-Grab a graphed function and move it to see the effect
-"Link" representations:
-Manipulate the properties of one and observe instant updates to others without switching screens
-Create, save and review work in electronic documents, like a computer
-Activate the handheld's Press-to-Test feature to block access to certain geometry features not allowed on state exams
-Experience identical functions on the handheld and TI-Nspire Computer Software (Windows© or Mac©).
-Your students can use the software independently or in tandem with the handheld
for work in and out of class
-Project a full interactive handheld alongside a large handheld screen to demonstrate concepts to your class usingTI-Nspire Computer Software - Teacher Edition

The great thing is that it is already pre approved for use on SAT ACT and many other state standardized tests. This is the calculator we will be getting approved for her use for the 8th grade TAKS, and I am already working with the school system so that we are all on the same page to learn its uses and functions. Regan has been getting acquainted with her "calc" as she calls it and was showing me all kinds of impressive math, including how to make it graph. Her life and mine just got a lot easier thanks to Texas Instruments

Dumpster Diving at Retama

2009-08-29T20:00:00.003-05:00

Last night John Mark, Regan and I headed to San Antonio to go watch the horses race at Retama Park. We love going to the horse races, and at one point we were even co-owners of a horse ourselves. It is a really fun family activity and a great way for us to meet up with some of our SA friends.

My brother David, and good friends Mark and Teresa along with "new to me friends" all had a fun evening at the races. Since Regan had gotten an "A" on her history test, I allowed her to pick a horse in a race. She looked at the book and immediately went for the most "french" sounding name. Did I mention she has an obsession with all things France?

Amount Regan won....Zero

My brother David and I studied the racebook, looked at the jockeys, and made specific decision based on statistics and past performance.

Amount I won.....Zero

Our friend Mark "has a guy" who is really good at that stuff and came prepared with numbers to bet in every race. John Mark just did what Mark did so.....

Amount they won....tons!

Of course there was the race where there was a question before they could call it official. John Mark and Mark where on pins and needles to see if there was a winner or not. They did win, but it was on tickets they had already thrown in the trash.

Mark went in for the classic Dumpster Dive.

Of course I had to get a pic of Mark doing the dumpster dive, but can't say to much because he won...and I did not, but it reminded us how much fun the track is and it is definitely an evening we want to do again

"I'm Bored" Advertising Game Activity

2009-08-28T09:19:00.006-05:00

There are often a large number of kids at my house. Mainly because it is easier for me to entertain everyone here so that Regan does not feel left out of anything. Every now and then they reach the point where I have to get involved because everyone is "bored". I thought I would share one of my favorite easy activities that the girls and their friends love to enjoy. We call it the "Advertising Game".

1. I pull a product from around the house (tube, can, bottle, etc.) and cover the label with a piece of paper.
2. Make up a strange name (Jeral jelly, Blibblob, Acnexus, etc.)and write it on the paper.
3. Divide the group of kids into two teams and give each a few blank sheets of paper, and a magazine (as reference).
4. Set the timer to one hour: Each group uses this time to brainstorm what the product might be and do, make a print ad, and a commercial for made up product.
5. When the timer rings everyone does their ad presentations to the group.

**If they claim to be done early, that is not allowed, they need to use all their time for practice of the commercial or even coloring in their ad.

This is a great way to foster imaginations, work on team work, and graphic arts skills. This is a wonderful rainy day activity. I recommend it for ages eight and up.

Get the heck out of my Hula Hoop

2009-08-27T09:21:00.002-05:00

As much as I loved watching Seinfeld for years, there were just not a lot of their quirky characters that I could personally relate too. That is until I have finally found my own personal "close talker"

I really have very few pet peeves in life but my personal space is one of them. I love when children come up and hug and cuddle, I love it when my own girls climb onto my lap or hold my hand, and I have even been known to allow John Mark in close proximity (well we do have two kids anyway). Acquaintances and friends on the other hand should always be outside my "hula hoop".

For several years now I have tolerated a sweet woman who just seizes every opportunity to invade my personal space. She chatters away about her family and life in general, but always within a foot of personage. It's as if she can't communicate unless she is right next to you.

If you back up--she closes in. There is no avoiding it without being out right rude

It is probably the one thing that just drives me crazy about an otherwise very nice woman. She has a good heart and a pleasant personality...but why can't she show it from about 2-4 feet away? I really don't need to see the individual pores on your nose to be your friend.

Yesterday, yet again she stopped to chat with me, and I was stopped by a wall. Instead of hearing a thing she was saying I spent the whole time looking for a way to escape, and pretty much missed the whole conversation. I found myself vaguely smiling and nodding my head to heaven knows what.

Any suggestions? Do you know a Seinfeldian character that you can relate to?

Back to School with Febreeze

2009-08-27T08:55:00.004-05:00

This year with our budgets strapped tight the girls re-used their backpacks and lunchboxes from last year. Of course it also helps that they are really cute backpacks. When we pulled them out of the closet last week, they looked decidedly dingy and had an odor of lead pencils. I didn't even realize how much I don't like the odor of lead pencils until I pulled them out.

Well we wiped them down with a damp sponge, and then Febrezed the heck out of them. I must admit I am one of those Febreze addicts. I spray my carpets, my curtains, sofas, comforters. I keep one in my car to spray my car. It is probably my easy way to avoid a lot of real cleaning, if at least everything smells fresh.

Well the people at Febreze sent me a few products to fuel my ongoing addiction and also gave me a few tips for back to school uses. Which you can see I already put into effect, but here are a few more:

For the little scholars:
Great for kids’ backpacks, carpet squares, nap mats and sneakers, Febreze Antimicrobial Fabric Spray eliminates 99.9% of odor-causing bacteria that hide deep inside household fabrics. With each use, Febreze Antimicrobial Spray leaves behind a refreshing scent while reducing the occurrence of odor causing bacteria.
Middle-school / high-school students:
Arm your tweeds and teens with Febreze Air Effects to keep locker stench at bay.
College students:
Create the ultimate care package for your college-bound son or daughter by including Febreze for their dorm rooms or off-campus apartments.
Teachers:
Febreze Allergen Reducer is a great tool to use on fabrics, especially in the classroom, because it reduces up to 75% of allergens that may become airborne. Such allergens can also hide in carpets, curtains and couches so promote an allergen-free classroom with Febreze Allergen Reducer.

Anyone else have some good Febreze tips for me.

Ch..ch..ch Changes underway

2009-08-26T19:20:00.004-05:00

I have decided to make myself some goals not only personally but for my site as well. These are the type of goals that I want to see tangible results and start to make things happen. It probably has something to do with the girls starting school, but I feel refreshed and ready for a brand new me.

For my Blog here are my goals:
1. I want to be the positive voice for moms of disabled kids.
2. I can review great products and have my daughter test them to to give that disability spin. Which I have done with Tie Buddies, Polliwalks, and now with Texas Instruments.
3. To show creative parenting and fun ideas you can have with your teen/tween
4. To make a bit of money on my site to pay for things I want to do and not feel like I have to ask my husband to budget it.
5. To build readership and PR connections by being a trustworthy and ethical blogger
6. To be asked to go somewhere (anywhere) on one of these company/blogger meetups that are being held everywhere. I would also like to attend a conference for bloggers. Right now I am focused on MOM2.0 in Houston. I looooove to travel and my kids are old enough that I have no angst about leaving them.
7. I also want to make this site a bit friendlier with more Vlogs, and work on building relationships with readers.

For Myself:
1. To lose about 30-35 more pounds, just because I need to, and I loved all the compliments I got this summer. With the girls at school though I already found myself stalking the pantry.
2. To figure out my relationship with my church, and If I am where I am needed best for me and the family, or if our needs will be better met elsewhere.
3. To add to our household income without compromising my flexibility and dedication to my family.
4. To finish getting this house ready and get it on the market.
5. Buy myself a laptop so that I do not feel so tied to my desktop, and I can get work done at the gym after coaching.
6. Work on my scrapbooking and the work I have to do still for clients.

Yes I have a lot of goals, but really non of them are unmanageable it just takes some organization. Notice I did not say anything about keeping my house a bit better...there is no use posting one I know I cannot keep.