a Colson. . .ism. . . .

as I was sorting laundry in the laundry room, Colson was sitting outside the door playing.  He says, "mom how did you learn how to do laundry?" and I tell him that I learned when I was a little girl, to which he responds,"they had 'washers' when you were little?" I laugh and tell him that we did and then I ask him what he thought we used and he says, "I thought you used one of those things that hangs on the wall at Scotties!" of which he is referring to a "washboard"!

Day 2 . . . .comedy of errors!

we head out of Omaha into Lincoln and enjoy all the traffic that is heading our way for the U of Nebraska football game (made us wish we were heading to an MSU game).  As we drove further into Nebraska, with the sun baking down on us I became more and more tired.  I finally called Den, saying we need to stop, and he said that we would stop in Ogalla (OO LA LA, as Tori says) and find a place to eat lunch (which was almost 30 more miles).  I was really dragging and Den kept me on the phone talking to him.  We finally arrived and drove around looking for a good picnic sight.  We ended up at the middle school eating on their outside picnic tables.  Den told me to eat and head to the car and rest and he would take the kids to one of the local parks for awhile to get them some exercise.  He loaded the kids in the van and I went and proceeded to sit in Katie's car (remember its packed to the ceiling with stuff, all kinds of stuff).  As I settled in the drivers seat to rest, I rolled the windows down (it was blazing HOT).  It wasn't long and I heard a beater of a vehicle turn down the street, I turned my head and opened my eyes to see a grubby old man driving a junker slowly slink by me, staring at me the entire time.  After he passed I sat up and watched him in the side mirror.  He pulled along side the street just beyond me and sat there.  I decided that I would find myself another resting spot, so I started the car and off I drove; round and round this little city, several times trying to find one place I could park Katie's car with a little bit of shade. NOTHING! as I went around the block, several times (even once going the wrong way on a one-way), I passed the same policeman in his vehicle.  I decided to just park in the local City Market parking lot.  I pulled in, parked the car, and leaned my head back.  Of course the sun was beating in, so I started the car, once again and decided to sit the opposite direction, as I turned to look I see the police man has finally left, so I backed out and when I turned to look straight ahead he was on the other side of the street from me (the City Market is in between two one-way streets).  I pull around, parking the vehicle and trying to not freak out.  I look over and this policeman is staring straight at me.  I'm thinking, GREAT! my ID is in my purse in OUR van, I'm driving an older vehicle, packed to the ceiling with "stuff" and it has PA plates on it.  I really did try and relax but every time I opened my eyes the officer was staring at me.  I finally called Den and said, "Where are you?" and he said, "have you rested at all?" and then I proceed to tell him the story and finally out of panic say, "if you don't hurry up and come back here I think I'm going to be hauled off to jail and you're going to be bailing me out!"  He said, "I'm on my way!" and literally he was there within minutes! What a HUGE relief! of course the kids got a good laugh.  Then as we were heading out of town he decides that we need to go back as gas was cheaper in town than by the highway. So back we head; get gas at this little dive of a station and Brennan realizes that he left his pocket knife at the park.  Den leaves me and the kids, in the van, and heads back to the park, with Brennan, in Katie's packed out car, with PA license plates.  I was so worried he was going to get pulled over, especially when they saw a man and a boy in the vehicle this time.  Thankfully they made it back (without the knife, of which Brennan found beside the seat in the van) safe and sound! We finally headed out, without any rest, but happy to be out of that city and headed into Colorado!  I prayed the whole way that God would give me the strength to drive the next, so I thought, 300 miles into Denver.  We weren't on the highway for 20 minutes when I saw a sign reading, DENVER 198! YES! I knew then and there that I could make that drive.  We laughed over the escapade in OO LA LA and sang our way into Denver!  I actually drove over those Rockies on my own, it was very liberating to know that I "did it" and Colson, bless his heart, said, "mom, just keep your eyes focused on the driver in front of you, don't look at the scenery. . . if there's no car in front just look at the road. . . ." and that's exactly what I did and it worked! Brennan, Colson and I had a great time driving over those mountains.  We prayed, we sang and we thoroughly enjoyed each others company.  I was even able to comfort Colson as he got a little scared of the drop-offs at times!  Life is an adventure, and I'm sure glad I'm enjoying it with my family!

Day 1. . . comedy of errors

Den and I drove two cars and took our four youngest children to Colorado, two weeks ago.  Riding 24 hours is tough enough but driving 24 hours is extremely tough.  I stressed about it several days before we left.  The first 12 hours of our trip was pretty uneventful, we actually made it too Omaha without any incidents; just a little rain at the tail end of the day.  However we "Pricelined" a hotel, and Den called me when the reservation was set to let me know.  He said he was a bit worried about where it was because it was a foreign man on the phone and he couldn't understand a word he said.  I said that I bet when we get to the hotel he is sitting behind a window of bars where he slides our key under a window of bullet proof glass.  We had a good laugh, that is until we pulled into the parking lot!  what could we do? We knew we were in trouble when there were signs everywhere that said, "not responsible for anything taken from your vehilcles,"  we dug out our all of our bags, our computers, anything of value and hauled it into our room.  Of course there was no elevator, the hotel was supposed to have non-smoking rooms but honestly you could cut the smoke with a knife the moment you walked through the door; we wound our way down several halls, almost like a maze; and up the stairs and found our room. To say I was exhausted was an understatement, as well as the kids.  We all showered and crawled into our respective beds.  Den said he was going to go gas up the vehicles, and just as I was getting ready to nod off he called and asked where the cash was, of course in the room and so was his wallet! once he returned I told him that I didn't think I was going to be able to make it in the room, (since I was pregnant with Tori I got a little gift of pregnancy induced asthma, which flares up still from time to time) I was already feeling my throat constricting due to the cigarette smoke!  Brennan and Colson have asthma and Brennan wasn't able to breath very well either! We both knew we couldn't walk out at midnight and try and locate another hotel and that we wouldn't get our money back so we were kind of "stuck".  Den and I were worried about all the "things" left in both cars.  My daughter-in-laws car was packed to the ceiling full of her stuff as was the trunk and our van! We both prayed that God would protect our things and woke up early.  I took the kids down for breakfast which non of us really wanted to eat; tatoos, smokers, toothless-wonders were seated around us.  We pretty much ate and ran! and watch your step going out the door too, the doorway sat a bit sideways, and the floor was on a slant!  Thankfully our things were untouched in the night (I did ask Den if he wouldn't mind moving our vehicles closer to the door where there was a bit of a street light) and we laughed our way into the cars!  we made a pitstop at a gas station for some coffee for me and some soda for Den and we were off for another day of 12 hour driving. . . . .stay tuned for. . . .day 2. . . comedy of errors!

nursing my BRUISED ego. . . .

We came home this afternoon from E. Lansing, after picking up Blake from MSU for the weekend, and I decided to bake my family some chocolate chip cookies.  I purchased two packages that were ready to go, just adding butter and eggs.  I pulled the first batch out of the oven to cool and put another pan in.  I called Tori and Colson into the kitchen to see if they wanted a cookie.  Tori gladly took hers and when Colson came in, I handed him his on a napkin.  He says, "what are these?" and I say, "they are chocolate chip cookies."  He says, "well they don't look like it" of which I cut him off because I knew he was going to say that they didn't look like the "GREAT" chocolate chip cookies his sister-in-law, Katie, made last week in Colorado.  I told him that I'm not the best baker, that frankly I'm really no good at it, but I do try from time to time.  He just looked at me and said, "thanks." (gotta love honesty) Ouch! I know I'm bad but when the kids start saying it I realize just how bad  BAD is. . . . .wonder where I can take a few baking lessons???

a week felt like forever!

while we were in Colorado we had very limited access to computers, and now I am trying to play "catch-up" with my college classes, facebook and the blog! WHEW I sure missed a lot of stuff this past week but we had such a wonderful time with our kids and married kids! Lots of memories were made! so much to share yet I need to get my week in order before I can sit down and pen my thoughts!

a Colson-ism. . . .

as we were traveling west yesterday, I was talking to Den, via cell (he was driving the other vehicle), about  our drive and the things that had bothered me thus far.  After I ended our conversation Colson piped up and said, "Mom, I think God is helping you face all your fears on this trip!"  and I said, "I sure have a lot of fears to face, son," and Colson said, "mom, we all have a lot of fears."  Thanks buddy! I appreciated his comment!

This is how I view my life these days, getting one thing going, starting on another then running back to keep the first thing going! WHEW! its exhausting!.  I'm trying to home school a 3rd grader, teach a preschooler; tackle 12 credit hours of college study; manage our home; and wishing somewhere in it all Den and I had 2 minutes together.  I'm longing for that usual "fall school routine" to kick in, when life becomes less of a juggling act!

We are 5 days away from the start of the new school year and I'm completely and utterly overwhelmed.  We decided at the beginning of the summer to home school Jacqueline (7th grade) and Colson (3rd grade) this fall.  I'm now at the point of second guessing myself on this decision.   I know its right, I know its what we are supposed to do, and I'm wondering how its all gonna come into play.  Not only do the kids start school on Tuesday, but my classes start the same day.  I decided, last spring, when I scheduled my classes to take on 12 credits this semester; I'm wondering how its all gonna "play out".  I'm not going to drop any classes nor am I going to "back out" on home schooling either, but I sure am out of my comfort zone with all of this.  I've spent most of last week and part of this week perusing the internet for curriculum, and have realized that it isn't cheap, even used curriculum.  I'm on curriculum overload right now. . . .what should I buy? what will work? what sight offers the best prices, etc. (I know I'm way late in organizing their "stuff" but I also took spring/summer classes!)  On top of all this Jacqueline is now in the Youth Group at church, which she has been so excited to move into; yet since Den is a former youth pastor, we are having a hard time letting her go, not because she isn't ready but the culture today is so very different where girls are concerned.  Jacqueline is a beautiful young girl who is just starting the process of puberty; she still thinks like a little girl (and I'm all for that) and many of her friends are way beyond her when it comes to clothing, make-up, boys, music, and sex.  Den and I had a great conversation about it this morning and we ended in prayer, together, for her.  Its been extremely tough letting someone else pastor our junior hi/high school kids, and not be critical about it.  I came to the conclusion, this morning, as I was looking at yet another home school sight that I am not allowing God to control my days, my time, or my thoughts and that its going to take a lot of me-and-Him time to accomplish what He has put in my heart to do.  With only have 4 children home now, which seems totally strange and weird, my work load for our home has been cut in half, so that should help, now its time for me to access what other "stuff" needs to be pushed aside to accomplish training up my children. . . .