Update on Our Clan. . . Bring on 2018. . .

I have been away for a bit, life happens and we must continue.  Some days are more difficult than others with regard to my work.  It is quite sad sometimes the situations I must hear about.  My sister keeps reminding me I am where I am for a reason and that God has put me in this job with  a purpose.  I still cry some days as I am making my way home and I will call my hubby on the way and cry to him about my day. He is my rock and my cheerleader on those days that are so difficult (grateful moment).   It is hard to believe I have been with this company for over a year now.  I kept thinking they were going to fire me for the first 9 months I worked there, you know the old dog new tricks.  I had my PCI review last night, I worked night shift last night.  I  had a good review and they are pleased with my performance and for that I am truly grateful, this job came at a time when my family needed the income and I needed to be able to help my family.  My very sweet hubby carried our family for fourteen years and I would not take that back for anything, I was there for my kids when they most needed their mom.   My schedule is pretty flexible so, I am still able to be there for my boys if they need me. (another grateful moment). 
The hubbs had a banner year with his job and we have made great strides in paying our house off and saving for college.  We are thrilled Sprat will be going to his number one pick college in August with a merit scholarship, it will not cover everything but it is a nice start (grateful moment).  Big T has soared this year in his new school, I never know what he is going to come home with.   Big T is learning how to interact with local business members of our community.  He has made presentations for the business leaders and for the various eighth grade classes in the County. Big T took a test that is given to seniors right before they graduate to see where they will be placed in college classes and did really well and does not have to take that test again (grateful moment). 
Yes, I am bragging just a little but we had a rough go of it last year and I am just extremely grateful for the blessings we have been given this year.   I have said many times that God will bring us to our knees so that He can lift us back up again.   We have been lifted and I am humbled by his grace. 
We are struggling these last few months with family troubles with extended family, so I ask for prayers, God knows what our families need.   I am praying for peace, comfort, and strength for our families.  I probably will not be back until after the New Year, lots going on with work and family.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. 

College, What do Boys Need to Pack. . .

So we are three for three on acceptance and each offered scholarships.  Sprat's first choice offered a little better deal and has many opportunities.   He has decided on his first choice and so begins the filling out of all the paperwork.  I have been looking at what a boy needs to pack for college, those lists are hard to find.  What to pack and how to decorate for girls are all over the place.   It is much harder to find lists for what boys might need for college.  Sprat does not drink coffee per say, so he will not need a coffee maker.  It seems I know more about what he will not need than what he will need. 
We recently dealt with a dead battery in Sprat's car, I do declare that kids today do not know how to deal with adversity.  Maybe it is just my kids, but I am pretty sure there are others dealing with this same thing.  Some days I feel as though I have done too much for my kids, they have not struggled for things.  I guess I should really thank my Dad for letting me drive a big ole piece a junk, that first car I drove left me stranded on more than one occasion and brace yourselves this was before cell phones......  I should preface this with the fact that the first vehicle I learned to drive was in fact a pick up truck, mine was a real truck.  It was not some souped up, jacked up, big tired piece of junk you see girls driving these days.  Mine was in fact my Dad's pick up truck.  It was beat up but, it was mine to drive when I needed it and I was darn glad to have it.   There were kids in my high school that drove a lot nicer cars than I did but my Dad taught me a really good lesson.  You work and earn your own wheels if you want to drive anything nicer.  The truck never let me down, the car I later drove did leave me on several occasions.  I drove the truck until I learned how to drive a straight drive.  I have to thank my Dad for that too, not many girls in my high school drove straight drives or even knew how.  I unloaded all of this on you to tell you about the battery fiasco with Sprat.
Sprat came in one evening and mentioned right before he was going to bed that by the way, his car had been hard to start these last couple of days.  The hubbs went out and he was able to start it.  He said it was a little sluggish and that the next morning I should go out and listen to him start it so that I would know what to tell the guys at the shop.  Well it is pretty easy to describe silence, yep you guessed it the little black berry would not start.  With great hesitation and reluctance I gave my eighteen year old the keys to MY car.  Ughhhhh, what was I thinking????  With glee in his eyes that I have not seen since he was probably eight years old Christmas morning, he took my car to school. 
It was indeed time for a new battery.  The way they put batteries in these cars these days are so crazy that the average person or even the Auto Zone cannot replace it.  I had to go to my mechanic to get it replaced and they had to special order it from the dealership.  Ughhhh.   Finally at three o'clock I had the new battery and all was good with the black berry.  I prayed that all would be as good with my car when Sprat got home with it.  I got text from him periodically through the day how nice my car was and how great it drove, all I could think of was that song by the Beach Boys, "Fun, Fun, Fun"  if you do not know the lyrics google them. 
With this anecdote, I will share what I picked up to add to Sprat's packing list for college. 
I bought him a kit that has jumper cables, gloves, bandages, and a head lamp to leave in his car.  I have a first aid kit that I made up for each of us to have one in our cars, just in case.
This is my wisdom for today with regard to kids, especially boys getting ready to go off to college.
Stay tuned I am sure I will figure out what he will need in his dorm before it is too late.

Time Flies. . . Just When Your Kids Get Interesting. . .

Just when your kids get interesting and you really want to spend time with them and you can have meaningful conversations with them, they go and get lives of their own.   What???  The boys are growing up so quickly.  Sprat will be going off to school and Big T has started driver's education, the book work.  My days of  following them around from ball field to ball field are over and our new adventures begin.
Advice to mothers of toddlers:  take lots of pictures, hold and hug them every chance you get, read to them often, and do not let anyone tell you how to raise  your child.  Listen to everyone's advice but make your own decisions.  I was stern with my boys and there are some that would say I was too strict with them over candy and soda and stuff like that.  I do not regret the way I raised my boys, I think they turned out pretty good.  I will tell you, with regard to the soda and candy thing, once you open that door you cannot shut it.  I tried to keep my kids away from soda as long as I could because I know from my personal experience that it is not good for you and no child should be drinking diet soda.  (please remember these are my opinions) 
Sprat, now that he is older, has decided for himself to stop drinking soda and sugary drinks.  He has not had a soda or sugary drink for a little over a year now.  He drinks mostly water and occasionally he will drink sweet tea if we are out to eat but not very often. 
Big T is finishing his first grading period at his new school and so far he has all A's and one B.  He will be taking one college class next semester.  He seems to be adjusting to his new surroundings very well.  We took Big T and one of his new friends from school to the local Fair a week ago and they had a blast.  Sprat was dating and the hubbs and I were able to enjoy all of the exhibits at the Fair.  We turned Big T and his friend lose at the Fair and the hubbs and I walked around like we were teenagers again.  I think this means the hubbs and I might get to date again.  Shhhh, do not spread that around.  I am afraid to say that too loud or too often, for fear it might not happen. 
Stay tuned as our parenthood adventure changes speed and lanes frequently. . . .

Life . . .

Life is not all it is cracked up to be.  Life is:  hard, unpredictable, happy and sometimes sad. I think I have felt all of these emotions this week.  Heck, I think I had a couple of these all in one day.  This was a particularly difficult week.  When I have difficult weeks, it makes me want to hold my kids and never let them go.  Try explaining that to a 14 and 18 yr old boy, they do not understand. 
On my worst day this week I called the house on the way home and talked with Sprat, I told him how much I loved him and I cried most of the way home.  They may be making arrangements for me at the loony bin and I just do not know about it.
Sprat is not any closer to deciding on a college than he was two weeks ago.  We are on the trail of some scholarships though.  I do believe I could make a full time job out of searching for scholarships.  There are so many and you have to read all of the details before you can apply because there may be one little thing that would disqualify your child. 
Stay tuned for the scholarship hunt.. .

Update On Job, School, and College Applications. . .

Big T's first business casual day this semester.  Big T's school will be having visitors from another county school system. They are coming to his school because they want to implement some of the things they are doing in their own school system.  I think that is pretty cool.  They must be doing something right to bring in other counties to check them out.  During this visit the students will be doing presentations for the visitors on what they have been studying.
Sprat is adjusting to his college and high school classes.  He seems to be balancing things well.  I got my first call from his high school English teacher.  Sprat really likes this teacher, he had him last year too.  I have not heard from Big T's teachers yet.  They are getting ready for their first exhibition  in November, I am looking forward to that.
It has been a year since I started my job.  I still cannot believe it has been that long.  This has been a crazy year for my crew, very emotional and a little stressful.  My schedule is still all over the place but, I do feel like I am making a difference, so I can take the up in the air schedule.  My kiddos have had to become a little more independent.
Sprat has applied to three colleges and has been accepted at two.  We are very excited for him.  Now we are on to the scholarship trail.  We make just enough not to qualify for need based help so we are on the trail of merit scholarships.  Stay tuned, Sprat has not nailed down his choice just yet and he may even apply to one more college before it is over.  

Big T First Week of School. .

Wow! First week of school under our belt.  Big T has had a wonderful first week of school and I am so happy.  This could have gone so many different bad ways.  Lol!!  We were all a little nervous about how this would go and I still have some reservations but, so far I am very pleased.  

He is taking a career management class and his instructor brought out Dave Ramsey and shared parts of his DVD's.  I was thrilled and of  course Big T knew exactly who he was.  He was probably the only kid that knew who he was.  They have been talking about credit cards and mortgages, raise your hand if you were ever taught about credit cards or mortgages in high school.  Ha Ha Ha Ha  me either.  My kids have been taught about the whole credit cards are bad since I am an ardent Dave Ramsey fan/follower.  

In may they have been adding Star Wars quotes in with their math learning.  According to Big T she is not teaching math they are learning to solve problems.  Big T seems to be learning though and he is very excited to go to school each morning.  His first day he was very excited to show me his new computer they have issued them.  He was also excited about his google calendar and how his teachers add his assignments and how he knows that in November he has a big paper due for English composition. This is similar to what he will have once he goes to college like the Blackboard sites most colleges have so that the students can interact with the teachers.  He also has a sort of study hall but they call it Seminar.  They can work on homework or if there is a particular class they are struggling in they can go to that teacher and get extra help. This is the last 30 minutes or so of school.  The picture below is him after getting off the bus the first day.  

New Schedules to Adjust. . .

Took a remake of their picture from Sprat ' s first day of kindergarten.  You have seen these folks that go back and take the same picture after so many years well, this is my attempt at that.  I am not sure how good I did but here ya go.  Took this last night before we went out to eat to celebrate the last day of Summer since the Big T starts back to school today and Sprat will start next week at the community college.  This is going to be one crazy year with so may different schedules to coordinate.  Sprat working a high school and college schedule and Big T working his modified high school schedule.  Throw in mine and the hubbs schedules and this year can only be more interesting.  Ha ha ha ha!!  

Looking at these pictures together you can really see how much these two have grown up and yet how absolutely silly they still are.   They drive me crazy and many days I question whether I am a good mother or not and there are some people that question whether I am a good mother at all.  Looking at these pictures tells me I am a good mom and that my boys are happy, healthy, and grounded in who they are.  I love em to the moon and back, the loves of my life.  

Then August 2005

Kindergarten Sprat (5)/pre school Big T (2)

Now August 2017

Senior Sprat (17)/Freshman Big T (14)

First Day of School and other stuff. . .

Big T went to his freshman boot camp yesterday.  It is very hard to believe that my little baby is starting High School and my first baby is starting his last year of High School.  This is going to be a huge year for our clan.  Stay tuned for lots of news of all the happenings. 
I am excited for Big T starting his new adventure  and Sprat starting his college classes.  Yep, Sprat will be starting college classes while he finishes his Senior year. 
We will be following all kinds of different schedules this year.  It is going to be crazy. 

First day of Kindergarten for Sprat, First day of pre-school for Big T

Cap and Gown. . . It's Officially Senior Year. . .

It is official, I have a senior.  Cap and gown ordered and senior portraits taken and this mama is not ready.  I went with Sprat to order everything and to pay for senior pictures.  He, of course, did not want mama over there "helping" him.   Some of my friends that had been through this before told me about the horrible wait and how hot it was sitting all crowded in one little room.  I was ready to wait.  We were running late as par for the course and I just knew we were going to extend our waiting time that much more.  I was very pleasantly surprised, we were second in line behind a set of twins. While Sprat was getting his make shift tux on I went to place the order for cap and gown with nobody in line.  By the time I was done Sprat  was getting out of the make shift tux and getting ready to go outside for his next set of pictures.  I decided he did not require my services any longer and I went on my way.
All in all it was almost painless, except for the fact that my baby is a senior (have I said that before?). Considering Sprat's class is the largest of his high school ever, boasting 350+, they did a great job.  I just hope the pictures will be of good quality, sometimes those school pictures do not turn out well at all.

Then 

Then 

Now  

Photos from the Beach. . .

Beach Week. . .

Feeling blessed to be at the beach with my three fellas and the sweet B.  Yes, we brought the B along for the trip.   The boys are throwing lacrosse on the beach, and the B is chasing sand pipers and pelicans (flying, not on the ground). 
We have a simply stunning view this week and lots of beach to enjoy.   I brought Big T ' s camera along for our trip but have taken some really good pictures with my phone. 

One night Big T and I watched the turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean.  That was one of the coolest things I have ever seen, so glad Big T and I had such a wonderful opportunity.  We have also enjoyed some of the best seafood ever.  Love the beach.

Kitchen Gadgets, I'm a Sucker. . .

My boss was telling me about this pot that she has.  It is a pressure cooker, called the "Instant Pot."  I had heard of pressure cookers but not this one. 
This conversation began because she had brought in a cabbage soup for lunch that day and she was telling how she had made it.  She had put it in her Instant Pot and cooked it in 10 minutes.  What???  Yep that is what she said.  Later that week she brought in potato salad that she had made in 8 minutes, eggs included.  I was amazed. 
You can probably guess where this is going.  Yes, I bought one.  I made some chicken the other night in 14 minutes.  It was good, I used one of the recipes in the book that came with the pot.  I also used frozen chicken breast, the chicken was fork tender.
I am going to try the potato salad next, eggs and all.  I will let ya know how it goes.  The hubbs is all on board, the kids not so much. 
Stay tuned for more instant pot stories.

Observations on the Week. . . . and Laser Tag

I am not as young as I think I am.  I went to a team building event for work yesterday, laser tag.  Yes, you saw that correctly it is not a type O.  I played laser tag.  I think I held my own, considering we were playing kids fifteen and under.  LOL!!!!  Yes, it is ok to laugh, I did.  When we arrived there was a group of kids signing up and I had no idea we would be playing against kids.  They divided our group and their group up so that we were fairly even on numbers.  These kids were good too, they were great shots.
Once we are all geared up, they walked us to the playing area.   This was set up really cool, they had  all sorts of things for you to duck and hide behind:  wall barriers, the camouflage netting, and sand bag bunker areas.  Considering I have never played this before and I do not play these types of video games I feel like I did pretty good.  It was terribly hot but we had plenty of water and there was a little bit of a breeze yesterday.  
The age factor kicked in when they pitted the kids against the adults.  They beat us pretty quick.  I was completely exhausted but, it was a good exhausted.  This particular venue has other options for parties and groups.  They have haunted trails, escape rooms, and zip lines.  The boys have been to a birthday party here before and played laser tag and they had a blast.   This was a team building sponsored by my work and it was very cool.

Warrior Mama  LOL!!!

On my observations for the week, I must tell you how completely proud I am of my oldest son.  I am very proud of both of my boys but especially of Sprat this week.  My husband and I are quite conservative and I think both of our boys are the same.  I know that Sprat is for sure, he had arguments daily, with his history teacher this past year over different historical events.   While he has been in DC this week they have been to several different events and heard many speakers on varying subjects.  This particular speaker was talking to them on how all of the college mascots should be changed so that they are not offensive to others.  Did I also mention that Sprat is very vocal in his opinions?  When this speaker started in on how the Florida State Seminole mascot was offensive to the Seminole Indians, that flew all over my Sprat.  He did voice his knowledge of this particular mascot issue and according to my husband, he let this speaker have it.  Did you know that the powers that be of Florida State consulted with one of the leaders of the tribe and asked their permission to have a student ride out on the field dressed as Chief Osceola during games before this became a tradition?  The tribe was honored to have this done and the ladies of the tribe designed and created  the first regalia for the rider.  Chairman of the Tribal Council told CNN, nobody will tell us to change the name and they better go some place else with all of that.  I am not sure exactly what Sprat said but, I know that he knows this for a fact.  Proud my child stood for what he knows to be true.  

Stay tuned a lot more going on these next months. . .

The Weeks Ahead. . .

Crazy week with work and the boys, Sprat is spending the week in Washington DC with our Church for Youth Convo.  He has had his eyes opened on a few things.  They are going to be very busy these next few days seeing the sights and having Bible study.  They are staying at a local University, so he is getting a taste of dorm life.  Four or more boys sharing a bathroom and bad mattresses.  I do request prayers for their group while they are there.  All of the craziness going on in the world today and people trying to hurt or kill innocent people.
On a lighter note, Big T and the hubbs went fishing yesterday and had a good time.  They caught seven.  I was working.  Big T and the hubbs have a few other plans this week while Sprat is out of town.
We are also getting ready for a much needed trip to the beach in a few weeks.  I cannot wait and we are taking Basil with  us.  That should make for a very interesting trip, with the boys and the B.  Lots of things planned around that trip too.  I have found a few ghost tours and a light house or two to see.  We have not been to the beach in at least two years partly due to the hubbs getting laid off.
For all of my Dave Ramsey followers out there we are going fully paid in cash, no credit cards on this trip at all.  Loving being debt free, especially since we are going to be sending one to college next year.  Sprat will be applying to college and lots and lots of scholarships in these next few weeks too.
Sprat is finishing up his psychology class, his first college course.
Stay tuned lots of changes and adventures to come. . .

Weekend Take on Social Media. . . .

This may be a little bit of  a rant but, a few of these have just really irritated me lately.  The back story is I have joined this group on Facebook that is a financial motivational site.  I joined in the hopes of learning something new.  I am a firm believer in reading and listening to what others have to say because I just might learn something new.  I am also a member of a community watch group on Facebook so that I can keep up on the crime situation in my area.  I rarely post in these groups, I just like to stay informed.
Several months ago we had a group of people that were a little sketchy going through neighborhoods ringing door bells and knocking on doors.  If you did not answer the door they would sometimes proceed around the back and side of your home checking doors and windows.  One of my girlfriends had posted a similar situation on this crime watch site and I commented back to her about someone ringing our door bell that same week and that I had sent my hubby to the door.  I shared that comment directly to my friend but within that group.  If you do not know my hubby you would not understand the significance of sending him to the door.  He takes glee in aggravating sales people because that is what he does.  He pesters them with insane irrelevant questions about their products and then after he has worn them down he tells them he is not interested.  The telemarketers do not call anymore because of what he use to do to them on a routine basis.  I do love him though, he keeps me laughing.
So after I had made that comment on Facebook to my friend so man I do not know posts to me and says something in the way of; "how rude, not cool."  So I posted back to him; "Pardon??"  He never responded and I have not seen him post anything else in that group.
I shared all of this to pose this question. Why do people think it is ok to just post something nasty to people they do not know, about things they do not know?   I think it may be this whole anonymity thing, they feel like they can say what ever they want because they do not know you and probably will never see you.  I guess I was raised a little different, I would never speak to people they way some folks do whether I knew you or not.
I am just appalled sometimes by what I read others post on Facebook in comments to news or even personal Facebook pages.  This is where I believe the internet has failed us as a society, we use Facebook as a means to bully, slander, and in general be mean to others.  Why?  Why would someone feel the need to post something nasty or hateful to someone you do not even know.
Today, I was reading some of the posts this afternoon and they were talking about Dave Ramsey, and you all know how much I love him and that I follow his plan.  You know Dave hates credit cards and he does not think anyone should use them.  Someone had posted how they use theirs to get free points and all of the perks and that they pay theirs off every month so they do not pay interest.  Someone else in the group, a loyal Dave follower, responded pretty harshly about using credit cards.  They called this person stupid and how could they be so dumb.   I do not like credit cards but I would never tell someone I did not know that they were dumb for using one.  I do not think I would tell someone that I did know that they were stupid for anything.
I think the election and the news media are also partly to blame.  This past election has brought out the nasty on both sides and it does not seem to be dying down at all.
Why do people feel the need to be this way?  Do they behave this way in their face to face relationships?  Would they act this way to one of their friends?  I think Facebook has caused us to be less social.  They call it social media, I believe that is a misnomer, it is an anti-social media.  We do not have face to face interaction or write letters to anyone you just Facebook people.  I must admit I am guilty of that too sometimes.
My questions for the day:   No judgement here.
Have you posted something negative to someone you do not know on any social media site?

Did you feel bad after the fact and wish you did not post it?

Have you had someone that you did not know say something mean to you on social media?

How did you react?

I genuinely want to know your reaction so please feel free to comment negative or positive.

Financial Friday and Eyes Wide Open. . .

Long week of work and lacrosse, not upset this week has come to it's end.  After our hiccup with the hubbs and his lay off last year we have been working very hard on our finances.  If you have followed anything on my blog you know that I read a lot, especially when it comes to finance.  I have almost finished Chris Hogan's "Retire Inspired, It's Not an Age It's a Financial Number" (Chris works with Dave Ramsey).  It is really enlightening.  I highly recommend this book, and it does not matter what age you are.  In fact I would recommend reading it in your 20's so that you can retire inspired.  I really wish I had started sooner with thinking about things like this and thinking about saving rather than the immature notion of immediate gratification.  That may be another one of those all too important life lessons you have to learn for your self.
Our life changed, our thought process changed, and our eyes were opened wide when my hubby was laid off two weeks shy of his 25 year anniversary with his company.   Update on that in case you did not know.  The hubbs is back with his same company, at his previous managers request, after 6 months of looking for another job.  He did get a raise and with their new product launch has been making a great bonus and we are taking full advantage of this extra income to pay off our house.  An irresponsible response to this extra income would be to buy new cars that we do not need or take lavish vacations etc. . Because we have been debt free, except the house, for a couple of years now that was not our response to this extra income.   It would be so great to be free of house payments so that we could really save for our "Inspired Retirement."   We are not only paying down the house but, we are adding to our retirement savings.
Yes, I have two boys getting ready for college in one year and in four more years.  We have been saving for college since the boys were born, it is never too early to start a child's saving fund for college.   College is important but do not skip saving for your retirement to save for your kids college.  This is not a Dave Ramsey thought and I do not remember exactly where I heard it but it makes a whole lot of sense.  Banks will let you borrow money for college, they will not let you borrow money for your retirement.  This one is a Dave Ramsey, kids can get jobs and help pay for their college.  You do not want to have to depend on your kids to support you in your retirement.  It is not their responsibility.
Recommendations for today:  If you have kids start a college saving fund, no mater what age you are start a retirement fund (IRA, ROTH IRA etc. . .),  read a book on finance (Dave Ramsey, Suze Orman, or Thomas J Stanley), and last but not least enjoy this beautiful day.
Stay tuned because college planning is coming. . .

Boys, Long Hair, and Girls. . .

My hubby and I have always tried to encourage our kids to have good hygiene, good manners, and in general be good people.  The hubbs and I try to set good examples of each of these but, you know how things go sometimes.  When the boys were little we talked about how some boys have earrings, long hair and tattoos, I personally am not a fan of any of these for boys.  My hubby put it in no uncertain terms that they were not to have any of those unless they were professional wrestlers or playing in a rock band and being paid for it.  I put my foot in my mouth big time with that one, I was saying something about that at work the other night and one of the girls that was working with me has a tattoo.  I mean no offense to anyone that has any of those things, I just do not want my kids to have them at this age of  impetuousness.  If they make that choice later in their lives, that will be just that, their choice.  While they are in my care it is not going to happen.   Most of my friends have tattoos and that does not bother me, that is their choice.  My hubby has a tattoo and that was his choice in his impetuous youth.  So, back to the other things, the hair, my sweet Big T has let his hair grow out this year and has refused to get it cut.  I have talked him in to a trim and a shape up here and there but nothing real short like he use to wear.   His hair really is quite pretty, I know that is not what he wants to hear, but it really is.  He has the softest curls and it is thick too.  There are girls that would kill to have his hair.   I was griping to a nice lady at Church the other Sunday about Big T's hair and she told me that if that is all I have a problem with I should thank my lucky stars.  There are so many much worse things I could have to deal with and that if he wants to have his hair a little long I should just accept it and be happy.  I thanked her for her much needed kick in the pants because she is so right.  Big T is a pretty good kid; A/B honor roll, helps a little around the house, and he is not a trouble maker, unless you count trouble with his brother.  I have given in on the hair front for right now.
On to the dating front.  Sprat is now on his third "girlfriend" since Christmas.  He did not even know that girls existed until Christmas and now all of a sudden he is like Baskin Robbins and 31 flavors.  My hubby and I have been giving him a pretty hard time about the flavor of the month.  He dates a girl for about a month or so and then they are done.  Not quite sure if they are done with him or if it is the other way around.   He is having fun and not getting too serious about any of them and for that I am grateful.  Big T has not found girls yet and I am also thankful for that.  He is really excited about school and lacrosse right now, I hope he stays focused.
Stay tuned for more on the hair front  LOL!!!

This was his last day of school.  

This was last Summer both with short hair.  Sprat has always kept his short, he would get his cut every two weeks if I would let him.

Updates and More. . .

Work has been a little hectic lately so sorry for the gap between posts.  We have been a little crazy these last many weeks with school finishing and lacrosse starting and my job going crazy.  You know what, it's Summer, what happened to Spring?  I just blinked and we were finishing lacrosse and now here we are hot and sweaty in the Summer.
Big T and I have been suffering majorly from some kind of crazy viral upper respiratory something or other and we both have been on three rounds of antibiotics.  We have been battling this super crazy infection since Easter but I think we have put it behind us now.  That was another reason for the huge gap in my posts, I have just felt like crap.
The boys have started a Summer Hott Lax program and they are really enjoying it.  Sprat has started his psychology class that he is taking this Summer at the community college.   It is online so when we go to the beach this Summer he can take his work with him.  LOl!!  I know he is thrilled about that one.  Sprat will have his work cut out for him his Senior year, he is only taking three classes at the high school and the rest of his classes (5) will be at the community college.  Oh yeah, did I mention that I now have a Senior and a Freshman in high school.  Shhhh, do not spread that around, surely I am not old enough to have kids that old.  I keep thinking of myself as a MOP (mother of a pre schooler).
Sprat will start those college applications soon and he still is not 100% sure where he wants to go, he is sure where he does not want to go.   Big T just got his schedule for his new school, he will be attending a STEM type school starting in August.  This is going to be very interesting because they have a little different schedule than the high school. The STEM school starts almost three weeks before the high school starts and of course that is going to drive both kids batty.   The great thing about this new school for Big T is that he will still be able to play lacrosse for the high school.
Yep, you guessed it my boys will be on the same team for lacrosse.
Stay tuned this is going to be an awesome Summer and a loaded school year to come.  I am going to try and do better with my posts.

Big T in action at D Pole

Prom and Growing Up. . .

My sweet little boy is now a very handsome young man.  He looked so grown up in his tux.   He is still the same goofy kid though, he giggled and made jokes through the whole picture process.  He hates having his picture taken. 
They had lots of fun at the prom, it was a long night for me.  He did not get home until after 0230 that morning.  Being the mom that I am I did not go to sleep until he got home safely.  I did not give him a curfew because the young lady that he took, her parents are more strict than I am.  Can you believe that?   I figured they would require her home earlier.  It is funny with the new age of cell phones, parents can know where their kids are most all of the time.  Sprat said she was texting her parents and he was texting me as they were on the way home.  They stopped off at a friends house to hang out for a bit and then he took his date home.

Prom 2017

The Year 2000 

Growing, Growing, Why???

I do not know what bug this is going around but it is a bad, bad bug. My poor Big T has had it twice, and now the hubbs and I have it.  I have almost rubbed the finish off of my door knobs with Lysol wipes,  and oh the laundry I have done.  Laundry, laundry everywhere. . .  nothing clean to wear.   I am trying to keep Sprat from getting sick due to his severe allergies to antibiotics.  I am trying to keep Big T from getting sick a third time.
Big T was invited to attend a new school in the Fall, it is a STEM program and it will give him an opportunity to try some new things.  Big T is a different kid and marches to his on music, we are going to give this a chance and see where it takes him.  He will still be able to play sports with the high school so he is thrilled with that.  He looks forward to playing lacrosse on the same team as his brother.
It is hard to believe that Big T is finishing his 8th grade year and Sprat is finishing his junior year in high school and in just a few short months I will have a senior and a freshman in high school.  Am I really old enough to have  two high school students, I guess I am, these days I could have two college students.  It just makes me feel really old to think of my babies, one in his last year of high school and one in his first year of high school, to me they are still my precious babies.

This chubby little fella will be a Senior in just a few short months.

This very cute little guy will be a Freshman in those same short months.

College Tours and What I Have Learned. . .

Sprat had said on numerous occasions that he did not want to go to a big school.  I thought it was important for him to visit a large campus and a small campus so that he would be sure that is what he wanted.  I picked a small campus that was close to us for our first visit.  Sprat fell in love with it, the most appealing thing was the 10 minute walk from dorm to class.  The draw back of smaller schools is that they may not have the major that your student is looking for.   This first campus tour set the level that all other tours would have to meet or exceed to be on his list of prospects.   This first tour was awesome because we actually met the Vice President of the University, he came in a sat with Sprat and I while we waited for our tour.  He was genuinely interested in what Sprat was going to major in and where he might go to school.  The one thing that stood out from this visit with the Vice President, he told us to pay attention to how the different schools treat you as a prospective student.  Do they care about the student's success or do they just care about the money.  That has gone with me and with Sprat to each visit.  We have paid attention to how they treated us as prospective students.  Our next visit was to a larger campus, here we were treated like a number and shuttled through just like one of the herd.  Sprat was not impressed with this University and there was no attempt to impress us with what they had to offer.  I knew going in that Sprat was not interested here but they did not know that.  Our third tour was another smaller campus, not as small as the first campus but smaller than the large Universities.   We were treated like dignitaries visiting another country here.  We received the red carpet treatment, we were driven around in a golf cart to visit the instructional buildings, dorm rooms, and the campus.  We had our interview first with an admissions counselor who wanted to make sure Sprat knew about every opportunity they had for him.  They also talked about scholarships he might be eligible for  and also told us about other places to look for scholarships.  In my eyes this University cares about their students and wants them to succeed, because if the student succeeds then the University succeeds.   They also gave us the contact information for the admissions counselor and told us to contact them if we had any questions or concerns.  That is the first time any of our tours gave us this type of information.   

The last tour I did not get to go on.  It was Sprat and the Hubbs alone.  That is kind of scary.  I sent my questions and all the things I wanted to know and just hoped that the hubbs would ask those questions.  This was another smaller University, it is a little closer than the others.   Even though this was a smaller University they behaved just like the "big boys."  The hubbs said all they talked about was how much money was required and when you had to pay it.  They do not offer the scholarship opportunities the previous University did.  Sprat was not impressed with any part of this University and neither was my hubby.  He said they were treated like a herd of cattle and there was not red carpet feel at this one.  The other thing that troubled me was that only 20% of the students were in state students and I am sorry I have a problem with Universities that only take a very small portion of students from their own home state.  

I do not need to be treated like a queen but I do want to be treated special since we are considering paying a great deal of money for a top notch education.   We do not have any other tours on the calendar right now because Sprat is pretty serious about school number three.   We will wait and see how the summer goes with his online class at our community college.  I think he will apply to school number one and school number three.  

We will have to wait and see though, you know how teenagers are and how they change their minds.

Stay tuned for the college search and application process. 

Anniversary and UNC in the Title Game. . .

I am married to the very best man on the planet with the exception of my daddy and father in law.  I had not forgotten our anniversary but I did not have anything for my very sweet hubby today and he had not forgotten and even had gifts for me this morning.   I am one lucky lady.  He got me a new rosemary plant that I have been wanting since mine died a couple years ago and chocolate.   He also gave me a very sweet card, he took great pride in the fact that he had something planned and I did not.  Usually it is the other way around.
These twenty four years have flown by, it seems like yesterday we were preparing to go on our honeymoon.   We spent a week in Ft. Lauderdale with a day trip to Key West.  We had a blast eating fresh seafood and enjoying all the sites.  The drive to Key West was awesome and oh how I loved the conch fritters.  We went to the Mel Fisher museum in Key West that has some of the treasure on display from the Atochia that Mel Fisher discovered off the coast in 1984.  My mom and dad were there when they were bringing it all ashore  that day in 1984. It was really neat being able to see some of the treasure from his discovery.  Another win for the hubbs, he gave me a silver coin from the Atochia for my wedding gift and arranged the day trip to Key West to visit the museum.
I laugh and tell people we had to get married when we did, we had to plan our wedding around the NCAA tournament.  My mom and dad went to every tournament NCAA and ACC for as long as I can remember up till the last fifteen years.  My dad is a State grad and  they are big State fans still. My lease was up at the end of March and we had a very short window between my lease ending and the start of the tournament.  Not only would my mom and dad not be there but my hubby would not have any groomsmen either.  The groomsmen were all huge UNC fans. While we were in Florida the final game was played and it just so happens we were out to eat at a local bar and grill and of course they had the game on over the bar.  The hubbs and I did not care about the game, we are not Carolina fans.   We ended up sitting at the bar to eat and you will never guess but another Carolinian end up at the bar and he was a Carolina fan.  The bar tender assumed we were also Carolina fans and I proceeded to tell him that not everyone that lives in North Carolina is a fan of UNC.  North Carolina does have a couple other really good colleges.   Hence my title for this post.

College Tours. . .

Went on another college tour yesterday, to my Alma mater.  We have plans to go to the hubbs Alma mater next week and one other school and that is all we have.  Sprat wants to go somewhere small, where he want be in an English class of 300+ students.  He is a lot like his mama, even if he does not want to admit it.  I picked my college because at the time I wanted to go to pharmacy school and I wanted small classes.  Obviously I did not go to pharmacy school but, I did like the small class size and the small campus and I think I am doing ok with my biology degree.  I must admit, I felt proud to be back on campus and I felt proud that my son may attend my college.
It was funny, on the way home Sprat fell asleep and the hubbs and I were talking and the hubbs got a little misty at the thought that our oldest is growing up and will be moving on.  I do not think he has thought about it seriously before yesterday.  It hit him right in the face as we were riding on the golf cart across campus looking at all the buildings, touring the library and the dorm.  Our baby is growing up and will be going off to college in a year.  Oh Boy!!  Did I really just say that?
This was an interesting visit, I do not think I went on a visit before I attended.  I just applied and went, the kids now get to interview prospective colleges to see if that is where they want to go.  I did a drive through on the way to the beach with my parents and said, yeah I think I would like to go here and then applied.  I like the interview process, the college sort of helps the student find them selves and sometimes figure out what they want to major in.  Our interview yesterday may have helped Sprat really decide what he wants to do.  I was very impressed with what they have to offer in the way of helping the student find work after graduation and the opportunities that will be available to him while he is there.  I think this college moved up to number one.
We have two more to do in a week or so and then I think he will be ready to make up his mind.  Oh, and let us not forget the Prom in four more weeks.  Stay tuned.. . .

Updates. . . Prom, Sick, Work. . .

Drum roll please  ^-^-^-^-^-  She said yes.  They are going to the Prom.  Now begins the fun part, of finding a tux, picking out flowers, finding a ride, and figuring out where they will go to eat.  I have shared some of my fun prom memories with Sprat and with Big T since it is prom time.  Back in the dark ages when Paul Revere rode to make sure everyone got home ok.  Na, I am not that old.
The young lady, we will call her Miss C, is shopping for a dress this weekend and then we start thinking about flowers and the tux.  I may be a little more excited than Sprat.
When I asked him if he had asked her and he told me he was going to ask the next day at school, all I could picture was some lame question at lunch or in between classes.   He did surprise me though, he had a well thought out plan and it was quite good.  A little back story on Miss C, she is a trainer for the football team and the girls softball team at out high school.  Sprat said she is thinking about being a physical therapist, physician assistant or something like that.   The other day Sprat was supposed to have lacrosse practice and he was going to get Miss C to tape his ankle before practice.  Sprat and one of his buddies had gone out and bought some athletic tape and he had written on the inside after a certain amount was rolled off, "Prom ???"   I thought that was pretty ingenious, some may say cheesy but if you knew my boy you would say ingenious.    When he came home that day I asked how everything went?  He said, she said yes.  I asked, did she say just a yes or was there at least some smiling and laughter and a big ole YES!!?   He said she was smiling and laughing, he also said all of her friends were there and all of his friends were there.  I would bet she had a little bit of a clue  about what was going on.  I did make sure that morning that he had washed his feet and put on clean socks.  heeheeheeheehee.
Big T has bronchitis and has been sidelined for this weekend with lacrosse.  He has the worst cough, sounds like a goose honking  around.   Cough medicine is just not working.  He started on antibiotics, so I hope it clears up quick.
I had my six month review the other day and it was pretty good.  They said they will keep me on, so that is good.  I am enjoying my work, there are days that it is very trying, I will not lie, it is very hard to go back to work after thirteen years.  I am very thankful they have been patient with me through my training process and my adjustment to the fluctuating schedule.  Feeling very blessed and very thankful.
Stay tuned for Prom updates . . .

Spring. . .Prom??

My dear Sprat has found girls, I thought he would be like his daddy and not be interested till  college.  Spring has come a little early at our house.  One night I was chilling on the couch and Sprat came to me and asked, "what would you say if I told you I had a girlfriend?"  I laughed because I thought he was kidding.  Could my son really want to talk to me about his social life, he has kept me in the dark for so long on these sorts of things.  Sprat has never been one to talk and open up, Big T on the other hand, tells me way more than I would ever want to know.  Ok, so back to the loaded question.  I told him I would simply ask who she was.  He told me and I was not really surprised because they grew up together and have been friends all that time.  To me, it seemed logical and I kind of thought they were but I would never say anything.  This first dating experience did not last, I think because they were friends it made it a little weird.
Last night Sprat asked me for money for Prom tickets and I asked who he was taking.  He told me who he wanted to ask and again I was not surprised because he was quite chatty with this young lady over Christmas break.  I did give him a condition on giving him money for tickets.  I told him I get to take as many pictures as I want and he has to smile and be nice.  He reluctantly agreed and I gave him the money.  I try not to ask too many questions because Sprat is kind of like a scared rabbit, you do not want to make any big motions or loud noises because it might scare him away.   I have to tell you I am enjoying Sprat sharing this part of his life with me.   An hour or so after the request for money to buy Prom tickets, I approached very slowly to see if he had asked this young lady yet.   To my surprise he had not asked her yet but, he did have a plan on how to ask her.  I cannot share that just yet because he has not asked her.  He has a plan to do it at school today and I must say he takes after his Daddy  just a little bit.  I was very surprised that he had this all planned out, he has always been a fly by the seat of your pants kinda kid.
Stay tuned to see if she will say yes to my sweet Sprat. . . .  and to hear how he asked her.

Notes to the Boys. . . .

I know I have posted on this before but, as we approach the end of another year of school I feel it can be repeated.  I saw this on Pinterest or another site about how this mother wrote her kids a letter every year talking to them about things that happened that year and their accomplishments.  With each letter she enclosed a little money and when their child graduated she gave them all of the letters.   This gave the kids a very nice handwritten note about their childhood from their mom or dad and a little extra cash for graduation.
I have done something similar for my boys.  Since I did not get started until later in the boys lives I decided I would write to them at particular moments in their lives and more than just once a year.  This way they will have a few more letters and a little extra money.  I recently wrote to Sprat about him preparing for college and playing lacrosse.  I enclose $10 or $20 in each envelope just depending on how much cash I have on hand.
My hope is that they will appreciate having a note written in my handwriting to them personally and they will realize how much they were loved.  I do worry whether I should tell them there is money in each note.  They may just tear through the letters and not take the time to read them.   I have some old little daily note books of my grandfathers and I love them.  He talks a lot about his work and things he had to do for work but, I have a couple that mention my mom by name and my aunt and how he was going to take them shopping for shoes one day.  These are dated back in the 1930's and it really is neat to have these written in his handwriting.  I never knew my grandfather on either side, they had both passed away before I was born.  I hope my kids will keep my notes like I keep my grandfather's notebooks and appreciate their sentiment.  

Coaches and Their Responsibility. . .

Please forgive my rant this morning.   I am so sick and tired of coaches that think it is ok to put a student down in front of other students or to the student themselves.  I really wish people would grow up and act like adults instead of middle school playground bullies.  I posted earlier this year that Sprat was not going to be playing football in his senior year due mostly to the coaches and how they acted to the players.  In my dear son's words "they sucked the fun out of football."  We have always told our kids when a sport becomes more of a job than a sport and they are no longer having fun participating, it is time to move on.  Sprat made this decision on his own and has moved on to Lacrosse.  He is absolutely loving lacrosse and loves his coaches.  He comes home every night with a smile on his face and bruised from head to toe, but he is loving this sport.  I am so thankful for the men and the other students that are helping to coach this team, they are wonderful!!  
Now as for football I am beyond done and so is Sprat.  The football coach had to open the locker room the other day for the lacrosse team to get in.  This coach saw Sprat and called him by name in front of his peers and asked if he was going to sit the bench in this sport too.  I cannot tell you the restraint that it took as a mom to not go and have a prayer meeting with this two bit you know what. My son being the amazing kid that he is replied in true fashion of our family,  "that is a real knee slapper coach."  I cannot tell you how proud of my son I am because he repeatedly deals with this two bit you know what and he repeatedly proves that he is the better person and more of an adult than this two bit you know what will ever be in his wildest dreams.    Yesterday one of Sprat's teammates told him what another football coach said to him about my son.  Why is this coach talking to another student about my kid when he is not even involved in lacrosse or involved in any fashion with my son.  Can we please grow up and quit acting like children and start setting a better example for our kids.  Why would a "teacher," and I use that term very loosely, talk to anther student like that?
Now I am going to rave over the coaches that are working with this lacrosse team.  They are wonderful and they are setting a great example on how to be a man.  Again, I cannot say enough how thankful I am for these men and Lacrosse.  This sport has come at a time when my child needed someone and something to shoot for.  He said the other night that how much he is loving this sport and he even said how much he likes his coaches and how supportive they have been of him.  He has never played this sport before and with their encouragement and support and help he is doing really well.  He has also taken on the very difficult position of goalie and usually nobody wants to play goalie because you get his with balls coming at you at 90+ miles an hour.   My poor baby has the bruises to prove it, but he is very proud of everyone of his bruises.
If you are reading this and you are a coach please take what I have said to heart.  No matter what you think of a player do not, I repeat, do not talk about them to another player or anyone else for that matter unless you are raving about how good they are.  It will get back to them and their parents and their mom may not have as much restraint as I.  

Stay at Home vs. Working Moms

The other day a friend of mine posted on Facebook that another woman had tried to undermine her for being a stay-at-home mom.  We all have insecurities about our mothering ability and I guess we always will, if you do not then kudos to you.  This particular woman was trying to make my friend feel less of a person because she put her career on hold to be at home with her kids, or as some of those mightier than thou gals like to put it, be "just a mom."   I feel like I can speak to this issue because I have been on both sides of this fence.  Just so you know, neither side is easy.  I went back to work right after Sprat was born,  and I worked until Big T came along.  The hubbs and I decided together that I would stay at home with the boys.  I do not regret that decision one bit, I have loved every minute being "just a mom" to my boys.   When my very sweet hubby was laid off last year we made a decision together, that I would look for a part-time job to help out and save for the kids college fund.  Now I am a working mom once more.
Since I have been on both sides of this fence I know the pain that continues to plague all mothers.   When I went back to work after having Sprat, I felt a huge guilt.  I felt like I was letting someone else raise my sweet boy.  Since I ran my own business I was not in a position to stay home with my sweet  Sprat.  I am sure there are many moms that are in similar situations and do not have the option to stay at home with their kids.  I always felt like people were judging me for not staying at home with my baby.  These were things in my own head though, I cannot remember anyone saying anything like that to me.  After I found out I was pregnant with my Big T the hubbs and I talked it over and decided that my business was where I could close it down and stay at home with my boys.  This was our decision, not everyone can do that or even wants to do that and that is ok.
I remember taking the boys to the grocery store and running errands and things, they went every where with me.  I also remember the looks I would get sometimes from other women that were working, either working moms or just working women.   Once the boys were in school and playing sports I remember talking with the other moms and they would be discussing their jobs and I would sheepishly say that I stayed at home with my boys.  I am sure some of my feelings were from my own insecurities about being a mom but some were from the other moms.  Sometimes I felt as if I needed to print up my resume so that when the subject of what do you do came up I could just hand it to them.  Sometimes I felt like they would look at me as if, all I could do was be  a mom when I should have been very proud to be the mother of these two great kids.
As for my friend who had someone trying to belittle what she did as a mom, this woman does not have a problem with you she has a problem with herself.  She is insecure in the path that she has chosen and thinks if she puts you down it will raise her up.    Do not let anyone make you feel less of a mom no mater the path you have chosen.   It is not easy on either side and I know from experience, we must make our own decisions and not let anyone or even society tell us what is best.
Stay strong ladies and remember, I am just a mom and this is just my opinion.  

Lacrosse All Around. . .

Both the boys are playing lacrosse this year.  Big T is with the rec league and Sprat is at the high school.  Our high school made lacrosse a school sport this year and Sprat is trying his hand at goalie. 
Big T had two games on Saturday and two wins.   Sprat played on Friday and had a big win.  Sunday we went to check out a college lacrosse game.  It was really fast paced.  It was really cold yesterday too, so we did not stay for the whole game.  

Stay tuned because we are just getting warmed up.

 

Big T Gearing Up

Sprat as goalie

Upgrades for Me. . .

Since we have a little extra money, I thought I might upgrade a few small things in the house.  I have bought some new rugs for the kitchen and some new blankets for the den, some new wash cloths and towels too.  I have done this over a few months, these are just some little changes I have been doing.
I share all of that to share, what I believe, are the very best wash cloths I have ever used.  I found these on Amazon,  they are bamboo.  I think they are marketed primarily for babies but, my face deserves the same tenderness a baby does.   I use to sell Pampered Chef and we had some bamboo dish cloths that were fabulous and that is why I gave these little wash cloths a try.   They seem to be similar quality and they are so very soft.  I also purchased some bamboo towels and they are very plush.  My hubby has been using them, I have not tried them yet.  He has no complaints thus far, and believe me if he did not like them he would share that with me.  My older towels and wash cloths I am going to save and send off to college with Sprat.  I also found some great dish towels at WalMart so I am getting rid of my yucky old dish towels.  These will go to my rag basket to be used for yucky things.  

I am very easily entertained with new household items and I know these seem like silly little things but little changes are nice.  

Update on the Grandegg, he is doing well and has survived the week.  Some of the other eggs in class did not do as well.  I hope Big T will earn some extra credit since his survived.  They turn them back in today.  

Kids Learning Responsibility. . . .

Big T is taking a sort of economics and family life class this session.  They are learning about family.  Today he brought home an egg that he has to take care of for a week.  He has little Bob in a shoe box with a blanket, he also wrapped it in a make shift diaper.  He has to carry it with him every where he goes.  This is going to be interesting.  
I thought he was going to get the  mechanical baby.  Evidently this is what they do now to teach about babies.  This is good because it is supposed to go with him every where he goes but it does not whine and cry and wake him up at night. I think the mechanical baby is a good form of birth control too.  Kids learn  how draining babies can be, they don't just sit quietly in your shoe box. 
That is just my opinion.   Here is a picture of my grandegg. 

Bad Gifts. . .

Have you ever gotten a gift and thought, what makes this person think I would like something like this?  My hubby has started this tradition of cheesy gifts.  One year for Christmas he gave me a lemon spritzer.  Well I got him one of those things you can put in the car door to help you get out of the car, I think it is called a car cane.  He found it before I could give it to him and decided he would get me something ugly for Valentines too.  He gave me the giant magnifying glasses he found in "as seen on TV" section of the drug store.  He took offense that I gave him the cane thing to help him in and out of the car so he decided he would get me something to make me feel old.  I was being sincere when I got the cane thing.  He does have trouble getting out of the car because of his knee, I was not saying anything about him being old.
He did get me a box of really good chocolate and silly card that I really liked.
So, has anyone ever given you a gadget or something silly as a gift?  Do you think they really meant it in a mean way or were they sincere?  Sometimes we think that we are getting someone a great gift and our intentions are the very best but, the recipient of our gift is not as impressed.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

I hope every one has a wonderful day.   Do you get your kids Valentines?  I do, my Dad always gave my sister and I a little box of chocolate for Valentines and I have carried that tradition to my boys.  I know I have posted about that before because last year I ate their chocolates and put money in their boxes.  This year they actually got chocolate.   Do you have a tradition from your childhood that you have carried on to your kids?  I would love to hear your stories.
I like having little traditions to pass along to my kids.  I even mentioned this to Sprat this morning as he was eating breakfast.   My dear hubby balks at Valentines day, he says, like every other male on the planet that it is a made up holiday by the greeting card and floral industry.  The hubbs is a bit of a tightwad but, I do love him just the same.  He went so far as to tell me his thoughts on this holiday before we ever started dating, which by the way, was almost twenty-five years ago.  With all of his backwards thinking he is a romantic at heart or at least he used to be.  Our first Valentines together was quite romantic, he surprised me with a treasure hunt for all of my goodies.  He had stashed candy, cards and flowers around his apartment and left clues for me to find them.  I was very surprised especially after he had informed me he did not believe in Valentines.  
We do not buy each other gifts for Valentines but we do get each other cards and sometimes chocolate.  Sometimes we get to go out for a nice dinner, I hope we can fit that in between what the kids have going on this week.  Love and family it is all good.
Stay tuned Lacrosse season is gearing up, things are going to get interesting around here.

Completely Exhausted, but Loving My Job. . .

Went to my first staff meeting for our whole company, this covers three offices.   They normally require us to go to the main office, which is three hours from me, for this big staff meeting.  They had this one set up so that the other offices could sit in via skype.  They were giving us the year end updates on our goals and our milestones that we have accomplished.  The Company was so happy with the progress over the last year they gave everyone Starbucks gift cards.  I thought that was pretty nice and they fed us during our meeting.  It is really nice to work for a company that values it's employees, even the part-time workers.  They also gave us gift cards at Christmas and a gift that we got to pick out of a list of items.  
I have been working some nights these last few weeks and it has really taken it's toll on me.  Imagine, I am not as young as I thought I was.   I have also done some fill in work, which is what I was hired to do.  It really means a lot to know that they value every employee the same, so I can deal with my exhaustion.   Today was especially difficult because my dear hubby is not feeling well and you know what that means.  I worked all night and had to help get everyone to school too.  It has been a long day, hence the late post.
I believe God has put me in this position so I am working really hard to learn all that I can about the business so that I will be an asset to the company.

School Systems, Encouraging or Discouraging???

Had to go to a meeting for Sprat last night so that he can sign up for AP classes at school.  We went to this same meeting last year and scared Sprat out of taking any AP classes.  He has always taken honors classes and done fairly well at them.  I am not sure how other school districts operate their AP classes but ours require the student to first attend this meeting and then fill out an application for each class that they want to take.  These applications rival some that I have filled out to apply for a job.   Once you have submitted your application and signed it you cannot change your mind.  They said this on stage to all of the kids and parents, once you sign you must take the class.  I can understand them not wanting kids to back out of taking a class but things do come up and they really should take this on a case by case basis.  Sometimes I think they are trying to keep our kids from taking challenging classes, I feel like rather than encouraging them to stretch themselves they are trying to keep them from taking the harder courses for their own sake.  
I am so disappointed in our school system lately, between their lack of encouragement for kids to take some more difficult classes to the way some of the coaches behave toward the kids and how they talk so ugly about some of the kids in front of their peers.  This is leaves a nasty cloud hanging over this school system for me.
I really wish we could go back to the day when teachers actually taught and educated our children in subject matter and not in how to take a stupid test!!!!

It Seems I Have Lost a Step or Two. . .

It seems as though I have a lost a step or two since the end of football, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.  I cannot seem to get back on track, I have resorted to Pinterest to help me gain some footing.  I have never been a meal planner but I did look at many of those type of pins.   I started on Sunday looking ahead to the week and what the boys had going on and what the hubbs and I had going on and tried to plan meals for the week, sort of.
Well, even the best laid plans go off course, my meal planning is no different.  I had picked a few things thinking that we would have some left overs to enjoy in between.  I have renewed my membership at one of the shopping club stores and decided I would start there.  I do love these stores, I always find things I do not need and some things I never knew I wanted.  On my previous visit I had purchased some hummus that my hubby and my kids loved so that was at the top of my list.  I was also looking for some type of meat to fix, I had intended on doing a pork roast in the crock pot but I could not find a piece of meat that I liked.   I decided I would check out their fresh produce which is usually pretty good.  I happened by the fish section, fish had never even crossed my mind for a meal this week.  They had the most beautiful salmon already fixed and ready to go at a very reasonable price.  There goes my attempt at meal planning, salmon it is for dinner.  The hubbs and I used to eat salmon a lot before we had the kids, I would drizzle olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with a little dill.  This salmon had already been prepared just like that, all I had to do was pop it in the oven.  I decided I would have coconut lime cilantro rice as our side. I found this recipe on Pinterest at Katya at Little Broken.  I did alter the recipe just a little because I did not have exactly what she called for.  Here is how I fixed it with my alteration.

1 cup organic brown jasmine rice
1 cup water
3/4 cup coconut water

Bring to a boil, drop to med low and simmer for 12-15 minutes to let the water cook off.

Remove from heat add:  lime zest and juice of half the lime, and 2tsp cilantro and stir.

The recipe for Little Broken called for coconut milk  and white jasmine rice.  I used the coconut water because I had it on hand and because it did cut out some of the fat and carbs.  I used the brown jasmine because I had it on hand and because the hubbs is a diabetic and fewer carbs the better for him.  This was an absolute hit!!  My kids even liked it.  This was easy and so delicious and pretty healthy.   I did have some left overs so the hubbs will get to enjoy that tonight.

Stay tuned as I continue to try my hand at meal planning.  

We All Have Something to Learn. . .

The boys have started the new semester in school, they each have some class changes.  Big T is taking, what I would call a home economics class.  He will learn to sew, take care of a baby, and cook.  He thought he was going to get off easy and get to take care of a bag of flour but another teacher is in charge of his class and I think they are going to do the mechanical babies.  Yes, you may laugh now, I sure did.  These are the babies that cry and require being held and rocked to sooth them and they cry when they are hungry.  They are intended to simulate an actual baby and all the things baby's require.  This is going to an interesting semester for dear Big T.
Sprat is taking new classes too, he gets to take chemistry along with Spanish 2, math, and history.  He came home last night and had math and history homework.  He does not often come home and do homework, he must complete it most of the time at school.  This is going to be an interesting semester for both of the boys.
I am still working and learning as I go.  This is going to be a learning year for us all and lots of changes for everyone.  The boys are taking on more responsibility, reluctantly of course and the hubbs and I are relinquishing responsibility.  It is fun to watch the boys growing and learning new things but, it is also hard to watch your children not needing you as much.  I think that may be the hardest thing I have to deal with this year, knowing that my boys are not going to need me as much.
Stay tuned as we are all learning this year.