On Homeschooling

Other than the fact that she is a much better writer than I am, I could've written this post. Go read Danielle Bean, my long lost twin.

Hows it Goo-in' eh?

We are here in the great white north and just loving this time with family. It is so very great to re-connect and re-juvenate and just plain ol' re-lax!

There is something about family. I find it every time I visit. And it doesn't matter where we are, or whose side of the family we are with. I find it fascinating that these people that surround me are so very connected to me. Even my own siblings... they know I would drop everything for them, and I am certain of their love and loyalty for me. And the extensive family I married into? Simply wonderful. Fiercely loyal, and amazingly tolerant, and lovingly sarcastic. Right up my alley.

And who doesn't love a country that proudly totes the music of BNL on their major radio stations? Yes, I am feeling very much at home here...

:)

We Interrupt This School Year to Bring You...

... your previously canceled trip to Canada!

*APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!*

Yes, indeedy, the US Department of State has smiled upon the Nutty Family and granted us our rite of passage between countries, just in time for our flight tomorrow evening.

So, it's laundry and packing and laundry and packing and... oh, right, leaving the house immaculately clean!

I seriously think I'm going to lose. my. mind.

But oh, am I so looking forward to having a vacation!!

:)

*Click*

Taking a quick snapshot of my life, to share with y'all...


Reading: Freddie and Fredericka by Mark Helprin. Hilarious.

Getting Ready to Read: The Testament of Yves Gundrun by Emily Barton. For my bookclub.


Rooms Cleaned: All bedrooms, master bath, and hallway.

Rooms to be cleaned perpetually: Living room, Front room, Main bathroom, and Kitchen.

Rooms painted: Master bath, Hallway, Girls' room, and Front door.

So, is the house "show ready'?: No. Don't even pick up the phone.

State of the Laundry: HA. 1 load down, 12 to go.




Praying for: Everyone starting school. Especially me. :)

Wish us luck!

:)

Turn Up The Sound!

... just this once.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time this morning "screening" the adlibs from the Austin BNL show. They are rock stars, after all... and can be a bit liberal in their use of certain four-letter words.

Well, this adlib was clean... I think.

And funny? Most definitely. Especially for all you Texans out there.

Have a great Saturday!

:)

Love: The Four-fold Edition

A visit from my parents and sister has definitely boosted my spirits. And focusing on others works wonders for any lingering self-pity.

And the Quadrilateral diagram of love?

Sports Fan pointed it out the first night:
Mama looks young when you're here, he says to my parents. Normally, she just looks like Mama. But she isn't just a Mama. She's a sister, and a daughter.

And a wife,too... points out DH.

Sports Fan nods in wonderment. And I see the impact this has on him. He is amazed that one person can be so many things to so many different people.

I feel the responsibility, but most of all, I feel the blessings and the support and the love that weaves it all together.

And I am so grateful.

:)

Writers' Block

That's what I'm gonna call it.

Although, I think there may be a more accurate name to convey my state of mind these past few days.

But I'd need a blog post to describe it.

Bingo!

Ever since the contract on our house fell through, I've been in a panic, scared to death that a phone call from the centralized showing service was going to find me in my pj's at 10:30 am, hair in curlers, teeth unbrushed, coffee in hand, and of course, house a disaster.

And so, the computer beckons, but I soundly ignore it and turn my attention to more important matters like using old toothbrushes to shine the fixtures in the bathroom.

Besides, I think. What in the world will I write about? Do people really care that I was in a bad mood yesterday and the only therapy that worked was running the lawn mower for over an hour, mowing our and our neighbor's lawns... defeating the mower since it ran out of gas before I did? Or, how about, is it really worth blogging that since I neglected to take my progesterone last cycle, I am now ekeing out every last ounce of sanity I possess just to make it to the "proper" time of the month before I can shoot up again? Or my homeschool prep? Which is still in the "needs to be done" stage... how organized I am feeling right now. What a slacker mom...

Or, here's the icing on the cake... how about the phone call I got from DH this morning, about the people who may want to buy our house and would like to know... could we move out by the end of the month?!?

As in... this month.

August.

8 days from now.

Yes, I have a lot on my mind right now. And I am praying and trying to trust. Just like all of us do everyday.


:)

Irresistible

The Nutty Family's clever marketing scheme....

Could you pass this by?

:)

Guess What I'm Doing This Morning??

Let's hope the rain stays away, and the children don't try to buy back their toys....

:)

ps. hope y'all enjoy my blog song!

Circling the Wagons

Thursday was promising to be a very trying day. That much was perfectly clear by the time we went to bed Wednesday night. We had some big decisions to make about the house and I wondered if we would ever be able to get to sleep.

As soon as I woke up in the morning, the pit in my stomach came slinking back and I could barely eat breakfast.

And I said to myself, that's it. This is crazy.

And I packed the kids up and whisked them off to the lake.

This is what I do. I need to "circle the wagons" and sit and relax and breathe deeply. I need to spend time with just the kids. No friends, no shopping trips, no sulking in my little house with ornery children.

The lake is a perfect place to do it. Yes, it's a lot of work for Mama to pack up lunches and haul it to the beach and clean sand out of the toys and shoes and sandwiches... But when the kids are playing and I can plop my chair into the water and let my legs float while receiving many pebble treasures from Little Love, it's so refreshing.

When we got home, everyone got in the shower. I just love that feeling of being clean and warm and tired.

And that was the condition I was in when I found out that the contract had fallen through.

I was disappointed, and a bit angry, but way (way way) deep down there eventually came welling up, a sense of peace.

We have no obligations (aka... contracts) elsewhere. We have no deadlines to meet. There is no reason why we have to move right now. (other than the undeniable fact that as the kids grow bigger, the house seems to get smaller...)

I think the hardest part about this is the altering of my perception of the future. I had been looking forward to our nomadic journey to the Rockies for the fall semester of homeschooling. It was going to be an adventure to pack the house into storage and live as travelers for awhile. Kind of eclectic and different. I had been hoping to be in our new, spacious home by the Thanksgiving holiday, since my family is expected to celebrate with us. I had visions of us all chatting in a huge living area, then retiring to our separate sleeping quarters, with plenty of room for all.

Sigh

It's hard to let go of that vision. But, I have to for now. And hope that God has something absolutely wonderful in store for us.

He must, right?


:)

In Which Nutmeg Decides That Putting a Gun to Her Head Would Accomplish More...

Today is the last day of the option period on our house.

And it's going out with a BIG.....

fizzle.


The lovely young couple that had fallen in love with our house like we did 6 years ago, just decided not to buy our house. Of course, it was much more complicated than that.

Way more.

But, in the interest of charity, and taking into account my current state of mind, I won't go any further... other than to say that I am so glad we made every concession we could. At least my conscience is clear.

We tried.

And so, it starts again.

Again with the cleaning, again with the showings, the no-shows, the packing, the painting, and did I mention the cleaning?

God has a plan. God has a plan. God has a plan.

I. Love. This. Nun.

Go read.

And link.

And be inspired.

Daily.

:)


h/t Barbara

Look-A-Likes?

I took the peanuts+friend to the library this morning. Of course, the main source of angst came from my Little Boo, who was in a constant state of invisibility. Every time I turned around, she was just.... gone.

By the time I had corralled her to my side a billion times and collected approximately thirty thousand books, I was a bit frazzled. We were finally gathering our bundles when the librarian who was studying Little Boo remarked to me:

She looks just like you.

Knock me over with a feather. No one has ever said that to me.

And, so, for your discernment:










And, in case you don't think we look alike:










Raspberries to you!

:)

Monkey(s) on my Back

How many of you have one? or three?

My definition would be: something that needs to be done, but somehow manages to remain undone, long past any reasonable amount of time it would take to get done.

How scientific.

My monkeys used to be my dental appointments, or my lovely "annual". But now with 5 kids, I actually relish the few hours spent alone in the doctor/dentist office, flipping through magazines. Still don't enjoy the actual visit though. Never have.

No, my monkeys are more on the homefront. Cleaning the fridge, the walls, the baseboards. Making sure sheets are changed, watering the tomatoes. Sometimes, it's more personal.... worries about friends and family, many prayers needed, and maybe a feeling of helplessness to overcome. All of this can be dizzying. And a clear-headed solution is needed.

Some days, monkeys like these really get me down. Not because the dirty baseboards bother me so much, but more because they just get lumped in with the rest of the duties that pile up around me during the day. Some days, I just want to hold up a white flag and let the monkeys take over and do what they will.

And those are the days that I need to put my head down and just do. Those are the days when our image of the sacred heart looks at me tenderly and implores me to offer it up for the souls He longs for. Those are the days when I take a deep breath and smile at my children and beg for extra graces and virtue to make it through.

Thank goodness for my DH. He is the boost I need to pick myself up, dust myself off, and get to work. And how blessed we are for this work! We really really are. And I am truly grateful

Many is the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused.
And I've often felt forsaken
And certainly misused.

But I'm alright, I'm alright
I'm just weary to my bones.
Still you can't expect to be bright and bon vivant
so far away from home.
So far away from home.

~Paul Simon

:)

Last One...

...until September.

Sports Fan turned 8 on Thursday. Thus ending the incessant boasting of Little Dear that she was the "same age" as her brother.

He was elated.

We had a.... nutty day. You guessed it. From a house showing that never happened (argh) to the kids' science class and a whirlwind birthday celebration here.

But Sports Fan and his friends had a blast. After their playtime, they came home to cake and a rousing shoot-'em-up time with the kids in the neighborhood. I sat on the couch with DH, watching the boys crawl through the grass, swing from the tree-house and shimmy up the playhouse roof, fire-arms in hand.

Too tired to grab the camera, I impressed the picture in my mind.

My boys, being the energetic, simply wonderful little men that they are.

God bless them.

:)

Break Out The Champagne

And join us for National De-Lurking Day....

I'll be spending the day commenting on those blogs I usually read on the fly.

Oh, and doing laundry, making dinner, and did I mention laundry?


How about you?

:)

And Now, From Left Field...

Why on earth does the Horror Movie Association keep e-mailing me, convinced that I am qualified as a critic?

Something to ponder...

Mars and Venus

As potential home-buyers...

She says: Ooooh! Look at all the built-in shelves and cupboards in the playroom!

Isn't this color cute?

Picture this wall taken out and new hardwoods put in!

A bed alcove? How sweet!

I like it!


He says: Where's the furnace?

Bricks look solid.

Roof looks new.

Windows are secure.

I like it.


:)

Things That Need a GPS Tracker:

1. TV remote

2. my 9 yr old's underwear

3. my coffee

4. the 2 yr. old

5. the spiderman/batman/pollypocket they were just playing with!

6. the phone (thank goodness for that handset finder button...)

7. the matching shoe

8. my sanity


Feel free to add your own items in the comments...

:)

By the Seat of my Pants

These past few weeks have been unbelievable.

In the course of a month, we have put our home on the market, sold it, (we're in the option period still... so keep on praying!) missed out on our trip to Vancouver, de-cluttered the entire house, and celebrated three birthdays. (one more to go this week.... then nothing until September)


Whew.

I wish I could say that I've been the calm, cool, ultra-organized bastion of peace and harmony throughout it all.

Alas.

Since the birthdays are every Thursday, the past few Wednesday evenings have found me rushing to three different stores to acquire birthday presents, food, and party supplies.

Every. single. week.

You'd think I'd have learned by now. It's not like I've never had four birthdays to celebrate four weeks in a row. No, it's an annual occurrence. And some years I have the presents a month in advance. Some years I even mail out invitations. This year? It's last minute phone calls to understanding friends.

And my kids still have a great time.

And the house? Last night we got a phone call that the inspection would be this morning at 8:30am. We needed to be out of the house for two hours.

My first thought was, people are awake at 8:30am? My second thought was, where in the world are we going to go? Because, even though apparently the inspection guys are awake at 8:30am, the librarians are not. Ditto with the lifeguards and rec center employees. We ended up stopping at the grocery store, driving around some neighborhoods to check out "For-sale-by-owners", and then paying a quick visit to the tubes.

And now? If you'll excuse me, I have a birthday party to plan for Thursday.


:)

Is Anybody Really Surprised?

You Belong in Summer

Energetic, creative, and very curious about the world... You're not going to let anything hold you back, especially a cold day. Whether you're chilling out at the beach or partying all night, you live for the warm weather.

What Season Are You?

h/t Karen

Bedtime Band-aids...

An exasperated Me to DH (as I dart from the kitchen to the girls' bedroom, band-aid box in hand):

Little Boo has a cut on her "thumb-no-pinky", and Little Love's band-aid is "crunchy."

:)

The First Day of Summer

Otherwise titled, "What Summer in Texas is Supposed to be"...

After days and days of rain and overcast skies, summer finally came. Blue skies, sun and very high temperatures. The only thing to be done was to head to the water...





Little Boo and Papa















Little Love hanging out














The girls...







The boys aren't pictured here, because every time I whipped out the camera, they were already out on the other jet ski....

It was an awesome day.

Yesterday....

...was my Little Boo's birthday.

We had a very fun day.

:)

And this weekend, we are hosting Auntie Portia and her LH.

(double-happy face!)

Update-O-Rama

It turns out this family that is interested in our home is exactly. like. us.

I mentioned before that it took us a year to find our current home.

I was not kidding.

I'll never forget the phone call I got when our realtor friend found this house. He called me up;
Nutmeg, you've just got to see this house. It's perfect for you guys. Can you come now?

I looked at my children: Action Man (age 3) Sports Fan (age 16 months) and Little Dear (age 4.5 months) neck-deep in our sand box. I looked at myself: ripped jeans, flannel shirt, bandana in my hair... (some things never change, eh?)

I said; Uh, sure. No one else will be there, right?

After his reassurances, we packed ourselves in the van and headed over.

I pulled up, convinced he was standing in front of that beautiful pale-blue two-story home. The one with the neatly trimmed bushes...

But alas.

He was walking towards the squat-looking light brown house with the front-facing garage.

Never one to mince words, I stopped short and said;
Are you serious? I hate houses that show garage doors in the front... what were you thinking?

Good thing our realtor is such a good friend of ours.

He agreed, but was insistent. He knows how I feel, he said, but just look inside-

He opened the door, and I was rendered speechless.

Vaulted ceilings, floor to ceiling windows... light. bright. airy.

Perfectly sized for our little family.

And the now garage-conversion, with four beautiful front-facing windows?

Heavenly.


These next potential owners have three little ones. Little boys, bundles of energy. They are Catholic, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to begin the home-owning adventure.

I understand their hesistancy, I appreciate their caution.

But this house? It's time-tested and kid-approved.

They may not know it yet, but trust this veteran mom...

It's perfect.

:)