I Made My Bed

30 seconds after I made my bed

Bryson the big helper!

All done!

Why is it when you make your bed your kids think that you want them to jump on it when you are finished? Obviously he is feeling better!

Not Getting Much Accomplished

Well, obviously we have been busy since I have not written since the first day of school! We are getting back into the swing of things. It didn't take the boys long to not get up when the alarm goes off, fight during homework time, and forget assignments that we have to make quick trips back to school to get before the teacher locks the door. Bryson has been sick the past few days and has been sooo whiny that it is hard to get anything done. My list for my days off are getting longer and longer, and I don't really see me getting much accomplished either.
I have started with the scratchy throat since this evening, which I am assuming how Bryson started feeling a few days ago. My mom had it last week and she had a sore throat and poor Bryson keeps grabbing an scratching at his neck. We have special out of town friends coming to see us on Monday and this is not a good time for any of us to be sick. I don't want to miss visiting with them, nor do I want to pass this along to them. Pray we all get over this soon!
As soon as I get my back ordered ribbon in and can finish my changing pads, I will post pictures of them. That is something else that is on my to-do list for this weekend if Hancock's will get it together.
I am writing this as I listen to the Olympics. They are swimming now. Not really interested in watching...just listening. Now...I did watch the women's beach volleyball and that was a GOOD match. I really thought that Walsh and May were gonna lose after that first set, but they made up for it in the second. Can't wait to watch them in the next round! What is your favorite event in the summer Olympics?
I better turn in for now. Bryson got up the past two nights and I am not used to that. He has slept through the night since he was 7 weeks old. Not to brag :)

Sara

We Made It!

We made it through the first day of school. And just like I predicted, I woke up a little after 4am with all the things running through my head that I needed to remember to do. Send lunch money, write a note about how to get home, Brayden is allergic to peanuts. The longer I laid in bed the longer my list was. So I finally got up and started getting things done. And I didn't forget one thing. We left the house at a little after 7am and had plenty of time to find where we were going.
My fifth grader was unsure about where his class was so I offered to help him find his room. Now keep in mind I had strict instructions NOT to walk him to class. So we looked everywhere. Finally after one teacher saw us go by 6 times she finally asked us what teacher we were looking for. We were right there the entire time. How did we not find it, you ask? They didn't change the names on the outside from last school year. He is in a module outside. It would have helped if they had changed that. Anyway, I had to go in and ask the teacher if she was who we were looking for and she came up to talk to us. I could see the look on Brayden's face. "My mom is in my classroom...how embarrassing...I think I am gonna die..." I was so tempted to lean over and kiss him on the cheek out of meanness, but we are trying so hard now to teach him NOT to aggervate his brothers, so I refrained. That will be a story for another day.
Then I walked my 2nd grader to class and the whole way down the hall I thought he was gonna pee his pants he was so excited. All he kept saying was he couldn't wait to get to class and that he was so excited about school starting . He was telling his brother last night after they had gone to bed that he was excited and all the older one said was, "WHY?"
They both said they had really good days and that helps mom out a whole lot! But now I am exausted and need to get some sleep. I will write again later. Have a good night.
Sara

Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the first day of school and just thinking about it makes my stomache flip. I can smell the stale smell of a school hallway and feel the tension that everyone feels when they walk in the door that first day. I can still smell Pizza on Friday. In my head, I am going over and over the scho0l supply lists wondering if I have forgot anything. Making sure I packed the boys bookbags (with their help of course) in a way that when the teacher says to get something out they don't go into a panic thinking that I forgot to buy it for them. Wondering what my middle child is going to come out of his room tomorrow wearing and wondering if I will be able to convince him he looks stupid without hurting his feelings. I am a firm believer in choosing your battles, and what they wear, as long as it is somewhat decent and appropriate for the occasion, I try not to make a big deal about. I know that kids need to learn to make their own decisions and what better way to help them learn that when it is cold you wear a coat or you freeze? And their clothes not matching, although will get under my skin to no end, will not kill them. But then there is Blaine. He would wear rain boots with a tie on a sunny day to church if I let him. What if the teacher is the meanest person they have ever met? What if all the kids in their classes are not kids you would want them to be friends with? These thoughts will make the Momma Bear in you come out. The grades are getting harder and harder and so far we have had it pretty good with understanding everything, but what if this year we struggle? I already know that "borrowing and carrying" is NOT called that anymore and if you call it that your child will remember you saying you are terrible at math and won't let you help anymore. It is "regrouping" which I think is a stupid name for it, but they never ask my opinion.
These are all the things that I worried about when I was in school and for those of you that know me well know that school is NOT something I have ever cared for. But I can also remember the excitement of a brand new box of crayola crayons and brand new glue and scissors. There is nothing more exciting than pointed crayons in a new box with all their skin!
Tomorrow I will wake up a little after 5am, after tossing and turning tonight while trying to sleep. I will jump out of bed and start the day doing everything as quickly as possible. After all, who wants to be late for their first day of school? I learned last year not to expect them to eat all of their breakfast. And like always, when I ask if they remembered to brush their teeth, the answer will be no. Tomorrow we will make memories and will be another page in the boys' scrapbooks. And hopefully....I won't forget to take their picture.
Sara

Last Night

I finished three out of the four changing pads that I wanted to make last night after Bryson went to sleep. I would have finished all four but when I started them Wednesday afternoon I cut the tie too short on the first one I made. (That is the one that I took apart because I didn't like the fabrics together.) So now I get to go into town today to buy another spool of ribbon so I can finish it. Once I get the ribbon I will have it finished in five minutes. So of course I am not gonna put away my sewing things because that would take longer than it would to finish it. So when everyone gets up today, we will eat breakfast right in the middle of my mess. They are used to it. And then when I can figure out why I can't all of a sudden get my pictures from my camera to my computer, I will post some pictures of the finished project. And that could possibly take a few more years! :) I didn't get to the tomatoes. That got moved to today's list. Stephen got my shelves sanded and stained last night. He said he will stain it again this morning so they will possibly be installed before I go to bed tonight! Yay! And for those of you who are laughing at the "go to town" phrase, I completely understand. That is what they say in the south. In fact I even may ask my husband if he will carry me there! haha. When we moved here in 1985, my sister and I made fun of everyone for using those two phrases among alot of others that were new to us at the time. Now we are "fixin' to do something all the time ya'll"!
Bryson is started to stir and I haven't even started the coffee yet. Gotta get moving this morning.

Sara

My Very First Blog!

After reading blogs today at work, I decided I would try this blog thing myself. I have just come home from my part time job to a sleeping baby and quiet house, so I thought now would be a good time to get started. I have alot I should be doing right now...but I'm sure this will be more fun! I have tomatoes from the garden that need to be canned. I have a pile on the kitchen table and I looked out the bathroom window this morning at the garden and I can see the red peeking through the tomato plants. I canned 70 tomatoes last Sunday. I have also started this week working on some baby gifts for friends. I am making them changing pads. I started 5 and finished 1. I almost had two finished but I didn't like my fabrics together of the second one so I took it all apart, went yesterday and got new fabric, came home and washed and dried the new fabric and now it just needs to be ironed. My kitchen table is covered with a machine, cutting board, and stacks of fabric. It's a good thing we have been too busy to eat at home this week!
School starts on Wednesday and I guess I am as ready as I will ever be. My oldest Brayden, who is 10, will be going in the 5th grade. He is dreading school, of course, because he is old enough to know better. Blaine, who is almost 8, will be going into the second grade. He told me the other day that he is so excited and that he couldn't wait for school to start. He is the social child of the three. Everyday a new best friend and a new girlfriend. We will get to hear about everyone and their brother when he gets home from school. He can tell you who likes who, who has been to the principle's office and how many times, who is related to who, and who is in who's class. I tried not to burst his bubble with the whole "You are gonna have more homework this year, more reading, less coloring...yada yada". I will just let him figure that out on his own. If we don't tell him all that he may not even put the two together. Bryson is almost 17 months now, and as long as he has a ball to throw and a tissue and blanket to snuggle he is good to go. Yes, my child has started snuggling a tissue. I don't get it either.
My wonderful husband received a table saw this past Christmas. So...me being the creative person that I am...tried explaining to him the other day (actually a few weeks ago) about these shelves that I want installed in my bathroom. I am slowly running out of room in this house with three little ones and if I don't get this place a little more organized I am gonna have to move. With or without my family. So, here I am trying to explain to Stephen what is in my head that he obviously can't see. But , that being said, Stephen has gone and got all the things that he needs to make me my shelves. He told me that he looked up what you are supposed to give for your 5th wedding anniversary (which at the time was coming up soon) was wood. So he told me he would make me these shelves for my anniversary. That is something else we are going to work on tonight. I told him if he would just build them for me I would stain them.
Well, I am gonna get off here and get some things done before someone starts hollaring MAMAMAMAMA!!! I hope this blog thing doesn't end up like all the quilts and things that I have started and not finished. Keep your fingers crossed! Oh no! I hear him already!

Sara