Two More Pieces!

Tonight we put up two more pieces to our debt snowball puzzle. That is exciting!! We called the whole family in for a little ceremony. I hummed a processional march and the children cheered as I pasted some climbing roses, Snow White, and one half of Cinderella into place. It has been a LONG, LONG, time since we have been able to add to the Disney Castle collage. Before the move, before Cobra premiums and two house payments, before Cara. Without a second income, our snowball wouldn't budge. No way, no how.
But we finally got the last payments for our vending machine business--in one lump sum. Guess the dead beat didn't want to show up for court. We were scheduled to appear mid May. One of the debts we payed off was Marina's adoption loan. WooHoo! It feels good to pay off any creditor, but even better knowing that money will be turned around to help another child come home. I let her kiss it before sticking it up on our puzzle. Her ransom is paid in full.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, Monday, March 30, 2009

Outside My Window...I have very few windows in my new home...rather like a compound. Hold on while I check...Pretty dusk and a slight breeze.

I am thinking...Honestly, I've been feeling overwhelmed by our spring schedule, and I'm trying to think as little as possible. You know, it is better if I function only on auto-pilot. What with birthdays, ballgames, end-of-year programs, massive painting/maintenance projects, etc. it is a bit much to take in and process.

I am thankful for...O.K., so I went to a Women of Faith conference this weekend, and I came away PROFOUNDLY thankful (once again) for a loving, healthy childhood within my nuclear, middle class, family--free of abuse, disorders, addictions and full of affection, acceptance, parental involvement and Biblical discipline. Apparently, and sadly, I am a gross and ever dwindling minority. Don't get me wrong, my maiden name wasn't Beaver, but neither was it Manson. Usually, I get so much out of this conference, but this time, I couldn't relate to anything the speakers touched on. I'm very glad to be excluded, but burdened for my sisters who have such obstacles to overcome and wounds to heal from.

From the kitchen...Not much. Left-over sandwiches from last night's fellowship and cheese puffs graced the table for dinner. It's clean, though. I made the kids eat their highly nutritious meal on paper towels.

I am wearing...T-shirt and jogging pants. Classy.

I am creating...This week? Two Barbie doll cakes for Marina's B-day party.

I am going...to a job fair on Thursday, and to take an Exit exam on Saturday (before the party) to add to my teacher certification.

I am reading...Miracle on Maple Hill (kid's bedtime book), The Maker's Diet and Twelve Exceptional Women, Exit study guide

I am hoping...for Cara to cut her first tooth sometime this week. I can see it, RIGHT THERE, below the gums, but it will not break through.

I am hearing...The occasion BLEEP from a dying smoke detector punctuates the silence. The house emptied out during my teaching session for a T-ball game, but any minute now, the volume will be coming back up.

One of my favorite things...er...people...Steven Curtis Ch*pman. He gave a concert Friday night at WOF, so it was worth the trip ;0)

Around the house...continuing to make a homey nest.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Ballgames every night but Wednesday, Wednesday church, Thursday job fair, Saturday party, Sunday rest.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...don't guess I'll be sharing one of these any time soon. With this wireless card, I only have access on our new, photo-less computer. I have no idea where the software for my camera is. I guess I could just stick my card in the port and see what happens?

Read more daybooks at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Hi/Lo Thursday

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and get your link on their site.

This looked like a great post format, so I thought I would try it out. I'm sad that I won't bring more attention to Abby's cause. I don't get much "traffic" on my blog, but my few readers are true friends. The Riggs family is an inspiration. I'm going to flip-flop it though, so we end on a good note.

Lows- I lost it with Marina and the whole clothes situation. Again. She brought a shirt to me for approval during wardrobe lay out time that the day before I told her was too little for her and no longer appropriate to wear outside the home. I actually went over it twice, because Abby came in the middle of my explanation and asked what was wrong with the shirt. I clearly reiterated my objections to the amount of midriff the shirt revealed and sent Marina back to her room with the parting instructions that the shirt was now only to be worn as play clothes around the house. So when she parades the shirt in front of my face, two seconds after I've sent her to find school clothes for the next day, I came unglued. Petty? Yes. Silly? Yes. "It is just a shirt," you say? I know!! I know!!! But it is the little things that send me into orbit the fastest. After all, Chinese Torture is only a little drop of water! What's so terrible about that? It is the repeated drip, drip, drip, hour after hour, day after day, that drives a man insane. So it goes with motherhood. Long after my blow-up, I was able to ascertain that:
a) She remembers that EVERY time--without fail--she has put on an article of clothing against my instructions, she has gotten in trouble. AND she has not been allowed to wear the clothing in question.
b) She remembered (verbatim) what I said about not wearing the shirt.
c) She saw the shirt and thought, "Mommy says I am not supposed to wear this."
d) Her next thought was, "I am going to do it anyway."
Notice the disconnect between a-c and d? If you wonder why she does not stop and make the deduction (based on these facts and the 1,000,000+ previous encounters of a similar nature) that there will be negative consequences for bringing the shirt to me, and therefor she should put the shirt back and choose another of the PLETHORA of available outfits, WELCOME TO THE CLUB! This would be a logical, basic judgement progression even for a five year old. But Marina's brain does not work that way, and my getting angry certainly does not help it work any more effectively. On the contrary, after my yelling fit, it was hours before she regained the ability to use whole sentences.

High-This evening the same little girl asked me if she could make the juice for supper. I allowed her, but she was unable to dissolve all of the concentrate. I took the spoon and, with a few quick strokes, blended what remained.
Marina: I could not stir that hard. You are stronger.
Me:distracted in the rush to get supper on the table. You did a great job, baby. I just got the last little bit.
Marina: Someday, I will be strong and will be able to stir it all up.
Me: MmmHmm....
Marina: Someday, I will grow up and be a mommy. Just like you.

That's a great high. Though I secretly hope that she will be a much, much better Mommy than me.

This Old House

Tami asked for a house update, and since I seem to be somewhat adrift for post ideas, I'll give one.
Three weeks ago, the mission (that still owns the building) had a give-away and cleared out all the junk that was being stored here. My daycare area is ready for profitable occupation. We just have to get a fire inspection and clear up some issues with the outdoor play surface, and we are good to go.
Painting is painfully slow. We thought we would get so much accomplished over Spring Break, but we spent most of the week battling stomach bugs and respiratory infections. It is embarrassing to admit that we only have one room painted--and in it, just the main walls, not the trim. In our previous four moves, I've fixed up the children's rooms first and left our's for "when we get around to it." Guess whose room never got finished? Yep. So this time we started there. The walls turned out a lovely color. Thanks, Cari! I promise pictures when I get a headboard, bedspread, valance, and closet screen. There are no closets in any of the Sunday school rooms turned bedrooms so we are having to design screens and/or curtains to discreetly hide our clothes.
We've had torrential rains the past few days, and we've discovered a few leaks in the roof, but considering the pitch and leaf litter up there, it would be surprising if it DIDN'T leak.
We haven't had a utility bill come in yet, and we are anxiously waiting to see what lighting and heating a 4,000 ft. building is going to run us. YIKES!
The U-Ha*l boxes are slowly but surely diminishing and with every one I unpack, I say a prayer that we are able to buy this place and won't be needing to use them again for a long, long time.

It's Good To Be Back!

After several weeks of being strung along by a local provider for access--they were supposedly putting up a tower that might have a strong enough signal to pick us up--we abandoned hope and stopped by AT*T for a wireless card today. 15 minutes later, VIOLA! I am back where I belong! I don't notice any difference in speed actually and I was so afraid it would be horribly slow. It is a little more a month, around 10 dollars, but for the privilege of blogging alone, I'll gladly pay. However, I was told by the geeks at the store I am limited to how much information I can download, and if I go over, I'm going to feel it sorely in my pocket book. We'll have to see how much streaming my on-line classroom will require. May be out of a job.
Regrettably, my passport to the internet comes the day after Abby's Spring Break Sleepover and Cara's late night bought with upper-respiratory problems. I'm going on less than four hours of sleep with a bounce house birthday party in two hours. I'm going to have sign in and sign out and go catch a little shut eye, but I'll be back VERY soon!