What’s Wrong With the Neighbor’s House?

Published April 5, 2014 by Angela

Why do the neighbor kids all feel the need to hang out at my house? Now, I am not complaining, I really just do not know why everyone always seems to gather outside my door? It’s not like I’m serving cookies and milk and having craft-time at my house 🙂 Once in a while, my girls will go elsewhere, but I would certainly rather have my girls at my house so I know what is going on. I am not a big fan of my kids going to someone else’s house all the time.

Do your kids seem to be magnets to all the neighborhood kids as well?

One Down, Several More To Go

Published April 4, 2014 by Angela

I am beyond happy that my statistics class is over. It was difficult at times, but I have to say I am beyond pleased with myself on how well I did, and how much I learned and retained! I am now taking a class on Organizational Behavior, which appears to be a lot of paper writing in my very, very near future. I generally tend to enjoy these types of classes, once I get that tedious issue of citing and referencing taken care of. This will be my chance to check out the Perrla software that I purchased, and see if it actually helps me. I kind of messed with it a little bit when I first installed it on my computer, and I can’t say I was thrilled with it, but I will definitely give it the good once-over this weekend so I am comfortable with how to use it.

 

I was looking forward to a weekend of working (really, I was!) but that changed so now I am debating on what projects I want to get started on at home. The weather appears to finally be breaking in West Michigan; it sounds like only 1 day with a chance of snow in the upcoming week. I just hope it is warm enough that my girls can enjoy their spring break and not be stuck in the hosue because it is cold and rainy (and therefore, fighting, arguing, and keeping me awake, while simultaneously destroying the house).

 

Which also means I need to buy double the groceries this week. Ughhh. I don’t know how it is in your area, but here, every single type of grocery product has went up a huge amount in price over the last month. One week, I paid $2.54 for a gallon of milk; 6 days later, the same brand was $3.08 for a gallon. I have noticed at least a $0.50 increase on the majority of things I buy every week. Liquid hand soap that was $3.49 for a large container, is now $3.99. I think I will be stocking up on toilet paper this week if that hasn’t went up yet!

 

So here’s to a great weekend of getting things done, and relaxing in-between, and sunshine and warmth, and a good book to read!

Happy Friday!

Published March 28, 2014 by Angela

I have to say, this has been one long week! I am super-happy that Erin’s Friday classes I had to take her to are done for the year. I am also still waiting to hear from the K12 program to get her enrolled in online school for 8th grade. Kendall’s Drivers training got pushed out from starting Monday to starting on April 14, which makes me super-happy as well.

Statistics ends on Wednesday, so I am going to be spending my weekend getting my final assignments and exam finished.

It appears that it is going to be a very rainy weekend here in West Michigan, but it isn’t snowing and I’m not complaining!

What are your fun plans (or maybe not-so-fun chores) for this weekend? Enjoy it, no matter what you are doing 🙂

Anyone Else Feel Like This?

Published March 25, 2014 by Angela

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/common-core-parent-facebook-post-indiana-school-181841158.html  

I have been dealing with this common core math teaching issue for a couple years. My 9 year old is doing basic math problems in such a manner that I cannot help her. I literally cannot help her. I have taken numerous math-based college classes, I have 2 college degrees, working on my 3rd, and I cannot help her.

Honestly, it pisses me off a bit. OK, a lot. She is not going to be taught how to write in cursive (other than by me), and she is processing a basic math problem that can be done in a couple steps in 20+ steps.

How exactly are we helping our children’s education? How are they learning to be successful? Much like the father in the above link points out, if anyone tried to do their job by completing math in this manner, they would be fired. No employer wants you doing a 3-step process in 108 steps. 108 steps!

Check out the link, and let me know what kind of ridiculous public school teaching/learning situations you are dealing with!

 

How Am I Doing On My 2014 To-Do List?

Published March 24, 2014 by Angela

Do you remember my 2014 to-do list? I certainly do! I have been thinking about it for the past almost 3 months, and I have definitely made some improvements! Here’s my list if you want to check out my some-what lofty goals. https://parenthoodandotherhorrorstories.com/2014/01/02/my-2014-to-do-list/

So, what have I worked on, and what do I still need to do?

1) I am going to church a lot more than I did last year. And not just because Erin’s confirmation classes moved from Wednesday night’s during WOW to Sunday mornings between services 🙂 I have went when Erin has decided to skip her classes. I actually read the verses this weekend which is the first time I have done this and I loved it! I can’t participate in activities as much as I would like to, but I do what I can.

2) Of course the more I am going to church, the more I am tithing. It feels good, but I have yet to reach that “give-till-it-hurts” level. Honestly, that is a scary thing for me! But, I have more than doubled my weekly tithing from what I was doing (I am not saying that for bragging rights of any kind, and I find it kind of rude that I am mentioning it, but it was on my list, and I got better! So I will not be bringing this one up again!)

3) Stop swearing. OK, this has gotten a LOT better. Really. But I wonder if the fact that I am still often thinking the words in my head means I have gotten no where? Taste your words before you speak them, right? I am still working on this, but I can say that my swearing is down to maybe a couple times a week; HUGE improvement. I’ll deal with the thinking-the-words issue later.  

4) Stop yelling. Yep, much better as well. I do not yell at my kids when they get me frustrated or don’t listen to me. I tend to just yell when I am upstairs, and they are in the living room or kitchen trying to have a conversation with me. What do I yell? “I can’t hear you. Come here so I know what you are saying!” Kind of ironic, huh?

5) Make and take some “me” time. Nope, not yet. Not really, anyways. I did have one weekend away without my kids this year, and am trying to plan another one. Generally I work 7 days a week if I can, and my college classes keep me busy. But I do still get my recreational reading in. And as soon as it gets above 40 degrees here in Michigan, I am going to the greenhouse for plants.

6) Patience. Yeah. I can say I have gotten nowhere with this one. I pray a lot. For patience. And forgiveness for my lack of patience. Really.

7) Exercise. LOL

8) Read the Bible. Not good here either. I have started 2 different plans, and the reminders daily that I have not got my reading done yet irritated me, so I deleted the plans. However, I do a bible study every Tuesday and with what we read in Church on Sundays and at WOW on Wednesdays, I’m getting some reading in. Yeah, I’m stretching that one.

9) Improve my photography skills. Hmm. Haven’t had my camera out of the camera bag for months. NEXT…..

10) Allow myself to be happy! Yes, I am feeling good, great in fact. College is going good, work is going good, life is going good. Of course there are still numerous bumps in the road, but I am for the most part; Happy!

How are you doing on your to-do list?

When You Would Rather Be Working Then At Home With Your Children

Published March 22, 2014 by Angela

Yes, I will admit it. I cannot wait to leave for work, so I can get some piece-and-quiet. I am so beyond tired of the bickering over “I didn’t get my turn on the laptop, she was on too long, it’s not fair, you never let me……” and on and on and on it goes.

ahhhh, if only I drank :-)

ahhhh, if only I drank 🙂

So, they are going to be super happy to hear that the laptop will be locked in my bedroom for the next week, and that I am getting rid of the cable. That’s two less things they will have to fight about, and I won’t have to pay that crapass company Comcast another 200+ for a monthly cable bill. Of course, we will be having this discussion tonight as I walk out the door for work; that gives them the whole entire night to stew about it, and hopefully start to get over it 🙂

Now I can start getting the “I’m bored song and dance. Get rid of two evils to add another one in 🙂

 

And how is the start of your weekend going?