Competition Runs In the Family...

My brother is a fellow blogger. I love reading his blog (www.wonderingaboutgod.blogspot.com). Over the last few years his blog has made me laugh as well as shocked me. I have learned a lot about him and his thoughts over the years. He is the inspiration for my own blog.

November 5, 2008 his stat counter (how many times your blog has been read) hit the 1000th time. He was excited. I was envious.

Today he called me, annoyed, apparently. He commented on my stat counter... it is at 1000 already! He is jealous. :)

I am flattered and appreciative to whoever reads my blog. Thank you for taking time and energy to do so... if for no other reason than to have this moment with my brother.

He told me that his goal is to be at least a few ahead of me. Hum... no doubt he will pay or bribe his congregation to read his blog to achieve this. lol

I am only blogging this because apparently he is going to blog this too. Not sure what version he will write so I thought I'd better write the truth somewhere on cyber space.

I love my brother.

What Next?

Despite how I am really feeling today... which is in one word GRUMPY (thanks to the RIDICULOUS weather), I am challenging myself to write a positive blog.

What can I say?

One of the facts of being ADHD (which is actually ADD with hyperactivity) is that in one day there is a constant flurry of activity in this mind of mine. It never seems to stop. I have so many ideas that pass through my mind... at this present time ... seeking for the right answer of what will be my next step?

I mean beyond the puppies, homework, after-school activities, gym and my tea parties (as Sanj loves to call them... despite that fact that I really dislike tea).

September is looming ahead of me with anticipation, fascination, frustration and exhilaration.

I am full of anticipation the next phase of life... a house full of school going children... from high school all the way down to JK.
I am full of fascination as I work hard to find fulfillment in this new phase of my life. I know that isn't going to be hard but...
I am full of frustration simply because there is SO MUCH I want to do. How do I know? I am listening, Lord...
I am full of exhilaration simply because it is really my turn. I have a husband that supports me in all my endeavors even the most ridiculous, far-fetched ones. I have lived my life for my children... now a few hours a day... I can be about ME! What a feeling of exhilaration I feel... and yet...

I am full of trepidation. I worry about Josh and the transition of cutting the cord though I know I went through this with each one. I worry about taking on too much and still juggling it all. I worry about contributing to our family financial (though this is not a pressure from Sanj)... yet all my dreams of full of big what if and definitely not with any guarantees. I know it is all a risk and life is too short. But yet...

So I find myself trying to SLOW DOWN... find what Step # 1 is and take that first step.
So I find myself trying to calm the racing excitment that I feel pulsing through my blood.
So I find myself trying to just stop for this moment... sign off and just finish the dishes.

Thank God It's MONDAY???

So here it is almost close to bedtime for a few of my laddies.
What a beautiful day. It is hard to imagine the call for MORE SNOW!
Oye, enough already!

Today we went to church, hockey banquets (tagged Sanj on that duty), lunch, rearranging furniture, boys played outside a long time, supper, and tick tock, tick tock... bedtime.

We visited our pups yesterday. They are so cute! I am praying hard over them that God will send His doggie angel to whisper into their ears to be good dogs. Busy, active and all that jazz is my life... so I am good with that. A crazy dog... not good with.
So... I am really hoping God and I... we are on the same page. I am hoping that God's Dog Whisper will do His thing before they come home! :)

Bo is the chubby one and Balla is the smallest. Too cute... it was so hard to leave without them.

I am wondering what this week has in store. I am contemplating on taking a photography class... Tuesday nights. I have 1 sleep to decide as the class starts this Tuesday.

I am really hoping to clean out the Mud Room closet ... because whatever is there has not been used... so... we must not need it that bad.

I am hoping to hit the gym a few more times than last week.

I am hoping to begin a new project... J.O.B. No not get a job but start a group with the acronym JOB.
But more on that later...

I am hoping to be better organized in groceries and dinner planning.

Aw... never to let to begin anew... set goals again and again and again...

Here's to a good week for you and me!

A Spirited Day!

I love my boys. Really, I do. Yet there are days, well many days that I wonder how am I going to do it? Do what? Make it till bedtime.

They have so much energy. Actually they seem to have an extra dose of energy. They remind me of a dog that has been cooped up... and just needs to burn it off.

I am so tired tonight. It doesn't help that it has been raining a lot. Then this morning it had the audacity to snow! Shish!

We went and saw our puppies... which was great... but the plan was for the boys to burn off some of the energy running in the back with the dogs... but the weather did not cooperate. So their energy was pent up...

Then we headed over to a neighboring church where Sanj was playing for the Easter program. That wasn't the best idea after a day of unleashed energy. Sitting still was more work for me than worth it.

I drove home wondering why I can't have some of that energy. I am tired. Exhausted. I am one that has energy and then some ... so I have been told. What will it take to keep up with the tribe?

Today I really appreciated Max for his calm and gentle nature. Thank you God... for my sons. Thank you for the energy and zest they live EVERY MINUTE of their day. There is beauty in that ... please help me see it more. Thank you for the calmer spirits of some of my sons. Oh... and thank you for bed time.
Amen.

Science Projects... What I have Learned...

This week was the Science Fair. 3/5 of my scholars had projects. The two older ones participated due to the fact that it was mandatory. Then there is my Zachary... my grade 1 child. He signs up for the science club!

I tried bribery to get him to reconsider. He was thrilled to be part of the science fair.

So... Project 1 was What is the best why to put out a grease fire... co2 and baking soda were involved.
This didn't require much from me as far as the actually experiment... (thank you Voskamps) as Sammy went there and experimented there. This simply required nagging and more nagging and finally me coming down after 10 p.m. on the last night and helping glue and cut. Hum... I did offer many times before.

Project 2 was Tyler's experiment about which glue is stronger... hot glue, white glue, wood glue or crazy glue.
Sanj and Tyler made this level system and used the different glues. Then a day or so later, they put different measurements of weights to see which would come apart first.
Any guesses? Hot glue was the worst, it snapped with the weight of almost nothing. Then crazy glue was next. The stronger glue as white glue which held out almost as long as wood glue... which only snapped when Sanj stood on it.

Project 3 was paper airplanes... make different airplanes and see if one flew better or farther then others. I have become a expert paper airplane maker thanks to the Klutz Paper Airplane book! (Thanks Janice)! Zach loved the whole thing... especially watching me grow frustrated with each failed airplane!

SO... who says once you graduate you are done school? If you have kids, you start all over again!

Busy Children Day...

I went to Costco with Josh this morning. I had a few things to get and didn't stray too much from my list (that doesn't happen too often)!

We were in the check out line and I saw a lady I have seen around town. She has 3 boys and was taken by the fact that I had 6 boys. I don't know where we first saw each other but greet each other when we do.

She was in line ahead of me... her three sons in the cart. The oldest is 5, then 4 years old and the baby was 2 years old.
They were getting anxioius to get out of there cart. People are looking, the teller is making facial expressions I have seen too often... she asks the mom... "Are they all yours? "

The mom says yes... and the teller continues "or do you get paid to do this?"
People are looking ... the teller is still acting out.

I smile. I wonder what the teller would say if she knew I had 6 sons. She comments on Josh... "Today must be busy children day...'

As I wait for the exit person to check my reciept... I feel like I should ask this mom if she want to get together sometime.
OK God, are you telling me to do this? If she is there, where I can see her in the parking lot, I will stop.

As I get outside I scan the busy lot... nope... not in sight.

Then I get to my lane where we are parked. She is there... 2 cars away.

Hum.

I stop ... we chat. Would you like to get together sometime?
She smiles... we chat and I give her phone number. I write on a McD french fry baggy.
I learn that she is a single mom with her three lovely boys.

I wonder if she will call.

Normal...

Last night was quite a evening. It was full of "discussing" behaviors and attitudes of my older cherubs. It was full of taking away privileges and defining what a privilege is.

It was not a good night. Nothing matter much to my son except his friends. When Facebook and phones are taken away... you are out of the loop. That sucks and matters to a 13 year old.

Well as Sammy and I were "chatting loudly" he says... " Mommy! I am just trying to make you NORMALER!"

No I didn't laugh outright but was defused.

Me... Normal? I have been called many things but never normal!

I used to wish to be normal.... but only recently in the last year realized that is never going to happen. I am OK with that. It took someone to call me quirky to wake me up. I did not think that was a compliment. I was actually kind of offended. Sanj says, you are different. You are not like everyone else. Hum... I am special.

I am o.k. with that.

Normal... my poor son is in for a rude awakening. There is nothing normal about me or our family.

Oh dear...